Together at Christmas Eve
by Rosie Angelina
Summary: (Sequel of *A Place in Their Hearts*) If Caitlin thought that Gordon's greatest act of love was to have forgiven his "dangerous enemy"; she was wrong. If Nathaniel thought he had already gotten all what he wanted; he was wrong too. Gordon would still surprise Caitlin as he never did before...and a "blue butterfly" would give Nathaniel a happiness he had never dreamed of.
1. Time is Running Out

Hello everyone! This is the fourth fic of Gordon and Caitlin's saga, and I would like to say some things that I could not say at the end of the previous story because I was too hurried to release the last chapter. As I had stated in an Author's Note, I wanted to portray the life of the characters as close as possible to their real history. So, taken into account that no one of the EM-1s has been preserved, originally Austin and Nathaniel were going to be scrapped...

In real life, the end of the EM-1s was sad. The engine #659 (formerly #7609) built in 1944 and parked in Butler since her retirement; was in the roster to go to the museum along with the P7 #5300 "President Washington" and the USRA Mikado #4500, but she didn't go. They say that it was due to lack of funding, but another version; the best known among the B&O's fans, states that she was scrapped by error due to lack of communication between the museum and the dead storage yard. Whatever it's what has happened, the #659; the only EM-1 still alive, ended up disappearing under the scrapper's torch, while the P7 and the Mikado were donated to the museum. The unfortunate EM-1 was photographed for the last time at Butler's scrapping yard on May 28, 1961.

In the original plot of *A Place in Their Hearts*, Nathaniel was going to be that unfortunate engine, and he would be scrapped after sending the second video to Caitlin. He would start his speech like this: _"My friends, when you see this video, I'll already be at the Railroad of the Clouds. But I'll go happy by knowing that I was forgiven and that I have a place in your hearts..."_ (I still can't believe I was about to write such a thing). But then I remembered that Connor and Caitlin's bases were also scrapped in real life, and still, they were preserved in fiction. So, why not preserve the EM-1s in fiction as well? And that's how the plot of *A Place in Their Hearts* was drastically modified, although maintaining its original name and summary. And it allowed the birth of this new fic, *Together at Christmas Eve*, the most spiritual of all my stories. Hope you like it! :)

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Thomas & Friends. All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. They are used for entertainment purposes only.

 **The OCs** Nathaniel, Austin, Bernard, Washington, Jessica, Gabriel and Sophia Sand, the O'Mara Family and Joseph McAllen belong to me.

* * *

 **CHAPTER I**

 **TIME IS RUNNING OUT**

* * *

 _"How will I say to my smiling shooting star that her baby is about to be scrapped?"_ –Gordon

* * *

 ** _Cumberland-MD, USA._ **

She was undoubtedly determined to dazzle with her blue beauty all those who saw her.

There were enough places to land, but she preferred to keep herself in the air by flying from one place to another. Or maybe she was only confused, since landing on iron was not usual for her.

Be that as it may, she was giving Nathaniel a pleasant moment this summer morning. "Come here…" whispered the giant engine, "land on my pilot… so that I could see you better… please, butterfly… I've waited years for this moment…"

Nobody knows if the butterfly understood what Nathaniel said or if she was simply tired of flying. But the truth is that she landed on the photo frame the engine had behind his lamp. The wood of the photo frame was certainly fresher than iron.

 _"Wooow…"_ thought Nathaniel, smiling widely. He could not believe he was finally seeing a blue butterfly…

Nathaniel; the magnificent B&O's EM-1 #679, had been removed from service on April after a serious failure of his brake system due to lack of maintenance. He would had been immediately scrapped at Cumberland's dead storage yard were if not for the fact that his _engineer;_ Mr. O'Mara, convinced the heads of the _railroad_ to give him a period of time to wait for a possible buyer. Mr. O'Mara had asked them seven months, considering that his wife; who was pregnant, would give birth in November and Nathaniel wanted to see the baby before leaving. The day of his retirement, Nathaniel made peace with Bernard; a beautiful EMD F7A diesel with whom he did not get along well.

And now, he was in a shed at a shunting yard, waiting for his fate and watching something he always wanted to: a blue butterfly.

The butterfly began to flap her wings slowly, as if she really wanted Nathaniel to admire her. The centre of her wings was an intense blue colour, which was lightening up to reach the edges, where a black line gave the final touch to her beauty. She stayed on the photo frame for a few minutes, and then she started to fly again.

"Bye, beautiful," said Nathaniel; "and thanks for visiting me!" But much to his surprise, the butterfly landed on his nose. "Oh! Hee! Hee!" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes to be able to see her well. "Do you want me to be your friend, precious? Okay, I'm your new friend… But don't forget to visit me as much as you can, please?" The butterfly did not say anything, but in return, she completely opened her wings and touched Nathaniel's nose with them. "Mmm… you're so tender, little one… I like you too…"

The scene was tender indeed, and Nathaniel felt very happy. While feeling the insect's little wings against his skin, he remembered the moment he asked Caitlin if there were no butterflies of her colour…

After a while, the butterfly moved from the EM-1's nose and kept herself in the air in front of his eyes. "Be careful, precious," said Nathaniel sweetly, "a shunting yard isn't a good place for you… But thanks for visiting me… You made a dream of mine come true… I like you…"

The butterfly waited a few more seconds, and then she flew away.

Nathaniel followed her with his gaze until she disappeared, and then he looked at the engine that was right in front of him. "Wow! That was impressive, wasn't it Bernard?" His friend did not answer. For some reason, the diesel had his lips pressed and his cheeks inflated. "Bernard?! Ha! Ha! Ha! What are you doing? Breathe, you clown!"

"PHEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

"HA! HA! HA!"

"Don't laugh! I made the sacrifice of stopping breathing so as not to bother that butterfly!"

"Ah! Sorry then!"

The two engines laughed out loud.

"Tell me, Nat; why did you want to see a blue butterfly after all?"

"Well, I just know I've wanted it from the day I was born. Maybe because blue was the first color I saw."

"Oh… it makes sense." Bernard sighed. "I would like you to be free like that butterfly, Nat. It's already four months since your retirement and no buyer has appeared yet…"

Nathaniel looked tenderly at the diesel. "There's still three months until November, my friend… Many things can happen during that time… Besides, I already got all what I wanted. So, if I must go, I'll go happy."

Bernard smiled sadly. "I'll miss you a lot… but at least I'll be able to remember you with joy by knowing that you left happy."

"Glad to hear that. I don't want you to stay sad… By the way, your train will be ready at any time. How about you finish telling me the funny news you had brought?"

"Oh… you're right. Um… where was I exactly?"

Nathaniel chuckled. "Right there where you're now…"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, Nat!"

* * *

 ** _Island of Sodor, one month later._**

Gordon and Caitlin were side by side at Knapford Harbour, watching the first autumn sunset.

As has already happened on other occasions, Spencer offered to take Caitlin's passengers to the mainland so that she could spend the evening with Gordon. So, the two engines in love were now enjoying the moment.

Gordon saw that Caitlin was smiling with her eyes closed. "What are you thinking about, sweetie?" he asked.

"Oh, my love… I'm thinking about Christmas… I'm excited with the news you gave me about the party at Vicarstown Station… It's just three months until it! I only hope the snow doesn't force the closure of the tracks this year."

Gordon smiled. "I also hope so… I really want to be with you… It'll be our first Christmas together."

"Yes… our first Christmas together… Aww… that will be so romantic..."

Gordon looked at Caitlin with tenderness. He still wondered what he did to deserve such a sweet girlfriend. And even more, he still wondered how Caitlin had not fallen in love with Connor or… Nathaniel. "I'll make sure it'll be very romantic," said Gordon. Then he added in a whisper; "After the party... I'll kiss you until dawn."

"Oh!" Caitlin giggled. "I can't wait for that…"

"Me neither…" Gordon winked at his beloved.

Gordon was also excited by thinking about the Christmas party at Vicarstown Station. Although the official announcement was not given yet, Gordon got the news from Gabriel Sand. There would be a carol concert by the children's choir, followed by a ceremony to turn on the lights of a big Christmas tree located at the entrance to the station. And, of course, there would be the fireworks show as a final touch.

While watching the sunset, Gordon was soon intrigued by something. _"Oh, dear…"_ he thought, _"and what am I going to do to surprise Caitlin this time? I've dedicated a love song to her on our first Valentine's Day… What other thing can I do now? I want to show her that I'll always do anything to make her happy…"_

Gordon continued enjoying the sunset with Caitlin and thinking about what he could do to surprise her on Christmas.

He did not imagine what he would end up doing. He would surprise Caitlin with something for which he would have to fight to get.

Meanwhile, in Wellsworth, a young man was watching a photo on the wall of Gabriel and Sophia's house while drinking a cup of tea.

This young man's name was Joseph McAllen. He was a pianist and had been Gabriel's schoolmate. He and Gabriel were part of the choir of the school, and besides singing, they also played their instruments; the piano and the harp. He did not only share the passion for the music with his friend, but also the passion for the railway. In fact, Joseph was training to be a driver under the guidance of the experienced driver Charlie Sand.

And at this moment, while savouring the tea with his two friends, he could not take his eyes off the photo he was watching. There was an engine there, who seemed to be smiling at him. Joseph was so hypnotized by the image that he did not realize that Sophia had just placed a tray of cupcakes on the table.

"Are you there, Joseph?" asked Gabriel.

"The cupcakes are done," added Sophia.

"Huh? Oh… sorry. I was miles away… Mmm! These cupcakes smell delicious, Sophie!"

"Thank you, Joseph. By the way, I saw you were looking at that photo…"

"Yes. Who are they? The engine seems to be from the USA."

"He is, indeed. He's an EM-1 from the _Baltimore and Ohio Railroad_. His name is Nathaniel, and the man on his pilot is my second cousin Brian O'Mara. Brian was his driver during fifteen years."

"Wow… But, what happened to Nathaniel?"

"He is parked in a shed at Cumberland's shunting yard," explained Gabriel. "The poor thing is waiting for someone to buy him. If no one saves him; he'll be scrapped in November."

"What?! How do they dare to scrap such a beautiful engine?"

"Well, the _railroad_ is totally dieselized. Besides, Nathaniel has the disadvantage that one of his brothers was already saved."

"That's shouldn't be an excuse. What's the problem to save two engines of the same class? Poor Nathaniel… Look at his angelic smile… I bet that he's a sweet soul in addition to being a beautiful machine."

"In fact, my cousin loves him as a son," said Sophia. "There's a strong fond between them."

"Oh, no… I don't even want to imagine how sad he'll feel on having to say goodbye to his beloved engine."

"That's the hard part of being a driver, Joseph," said Gabriel. "Even in our case; although the engines of Sodor are never sold nor scrapped, we must be prepared to say goodbye to them as well. An accident could leave an engine unable to work for the rest of his/her life, not to mention that one day we'll reach the age of retirement."

"I know… Every rose has its thorns… But I would have liked that Nathaniel could be saved…"

Joseph looked at the photo once again. Nathaniel's smile had stolen his heart. He even imagined himself in the cab of such a beautiful machine…

* * *

One month later, back in Cumberland, it was the cold morning of the last Sunday in October.

Mr. O'Mara was sitting on the top level of Nathaniel's pilot, with his gaze lost to the horizon. He would have liked to have good news for his engine in addition to the fact that his _little sibling_ would be born within the following days, but he did not have it.

No buyer had appeared yet. And most likely; no one would no longer appear before the deadline.

Actually, two businessmen have been interested in buying Nathaniel. But, as they did not find any nearby _railroad_ that gives them authorization to use its tracks, they desisted from the purchase.

But Mr. O'Mara did not give Nathaniel this terrible news. He did not want the heart of his engine to be broken.

"Sir…" called Nathaniel in one point, looking fondly at his _engineer,_ "it's all right… We had already considered this possibility… this big possibility, by the way… Don't worry about me… I'll be fine… I just need Austin to accompany me…"

Mr. O'Mara slowly moved his gaze towards him and smiled sadly. "I admire you, boy."

"Why, sir?"

"Because you're admirable."

Nathaniel giggled. "Please, don't be sad, sir… You don't owe me anything."

Mr. O'Mara closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He tried not to burst into tears in front of his engine. "I want to tell you something, Nat…" he said afterward.

"Go ahead, sir."

"You already knew that Austin's _engineer_ will only work until the end of December."

"Yes. He reached the age of retirement."

"Exactly. Well, Austin still doesn't know this I'm going to say, but… yesterday his owner proposed me to be his new _engineer_ in case you go, and I accepted…"

Nathaniel opened his eyes widely. "Wow! This is wonderful news, sir!"

"Do you like it?"

"Of course yes! And Austin will love it too. Oh, sir… I'm so happy that my brother will stay with you… Now I'll go even more calmed. You know; sir, when I was left at the dead storage yard the day of my retirement, I wondered if you would be happy by operating a diesel for the rest of your working life…"

"O-oh…" Mr. O'Mara smiled. "Operating a diesel is certainly not complicated at all, and we can even drink a cup of tea in the cab without bouncing. But still, nothing can be compared with the emotion of operating a steam engine… The pleasure of seeing that column of steam that rises up to mingle with the clouds after having suffered to obtain it; is something that diesels will never give us."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "Did I make you suffer, sir?"

Mr. O'Mara looked deeply into his engine's eyes. "I can say I had to endure extreme heat or cold on some occasions. But you only gave me happiness and satisfaction, Nat... Believe it or not, we humans like challenges. We always enjoy more of those things for which we had to fight to get them."

"R-really?"

"Yes. For example; when the soccer players receive their champion trophy after having won a hard-fought match against their opponent, they enjoy much more than if they had won by simply taking penalty kicks or because their opponent scored some own goals."

"Ohhh… I understand now. So, you'll be satisfied to see Austin's steam mingling with the clouds, sir."

"That's right. Besides, Austin was the engine with whom I trained to be able to operate you... He's also a piece of my heart."

Nathaniel smiled sweetly. "Sir, I'm really happy that you'll be his _engineer_."

Mr. O'Mara smiled back. "Thank you, Nat… By the way, I've asked his owner not to tell him about this yet, because he might think that we already lost hope that you'll be saved."

"Oh... but, I would prefer him to know this already, sir... It's better that we accept that time is running out..."

"Well… if you prefer so, then I'll tell him soon."

"Thank you, sir. Austin will be also grateful to know it already. Oh, and I would like to ask you another favour, sir..."

"Just tell me what you want."

"Well, I would like you to let Caitlin know about my situation. We had promised to keep her up to date with the news about me, and I want to send her a farewell message…"

"Okay, son, I'll let her know it."

Mr. O'Mara was impressed by the attitude of his engine. Nathaniel was supposed to be the one being comforted at this time, but the exact opposite was happening; Nathaniel was the one who was comforting his _engineer_ thanks to his serenity on accepting the reality.

Mr. O'Mara stayed with his engine until near midday, and then he left for home.

Nathaniel sighed deeply while seeing the photo he had behind his lamp, the photo that showed Caitlin between Gordon and Connor…

Nathaniel had communicated with the three express engines through some homemade videos during the last months, and besides the videos, they also send many photos to each other. One of these photos was now in a frame on Nathaniel's pilot.

 _"These three smiles will accompany me until my last breath_ ," thought the EM-1, _"and Austin's smile too… Oh, dear… I'm not feeling that good now… I just hope I won't get sad again… I must be calm… I already got all what I wanted…"_

Nathaniel was going through the "little moment of anguish" Lady had prophesied. The cloud of sadness threatened to cover the sun over him. But, as Lady had promised, she was beside him at this time for him not to lose his spiritual strength.

Lady would not let sadness get into Nathaniel's heart again.

* * *

The next day, on the Island of Sodor, Gordon was at Knapford Yard taking a nap during the midday break when Gabriel woke him up.

"Sorry for bothering you, Gordon," said Gabriel, "but I've received a call from Mr. O'Mara."

"It's all right, Gabriel. What did he said?"

"It's not good news about Nathaniel at all… No buyer has appeared so far, and Mrs. O'Mara will give birth in the next few days."

Gordon opened his eyes widely. "Does it mean Nathaniel will be… scrapped?"

"Most likely, yes. And he wants Caitlin to know that he'll think of her and her two Guardian Angels until his last breath and that he thanks her once again for having been his _mommy_."

"Oh, no… That will break Caitlin's heart!"

"That's why I wanted to talk with you in the first place. I think you'll know how to give the news to your girlfriend..."

"Thanks for considering that, Gabriel. First I'll talk with Connor, and then he and I will give the news to Caitlin."

"That's a good idea. But you must hurry, because time is running out and maybe Caitlin will want to send him a last message."

Gordon gasped. "When exactly will Mrs. O'Mara give birth?"

"It's not possible to know it exactly, Gordon. The probable date for the birth of a baby is just that; a probable date. The baby can be born before or after that date. Everything depends on nature."

"Oh, dear… I must hurry then. Thanks for telling me about that, Gabriel."

"You're welcome, boy. But let me know as soon as Caitlin had been notified. Mr. O'Mara will be waiting for a response."

"Okay."

Gordon stayed looking at nothing as Gabriel left the yard. _"How will I say to my smiling shooting star that her baby is about to be scrapped?"_ he thought. _"She'll feel very sad… and I don't want to see her cry of sadness… Oh, if only Nathaniel had not been so big and heavy for British railways, I would have implored Sir Topham Hatt to buy him…"_

As soon as Gordon thought of that, he remembered what Nathaniel had asked him and Connor through his last video: _"Make sure that all her tears are just of happiness."_ Gordon felt a pain in his heart while Nathaniel's words kept rolling around his mind _. "I don't want Caitlin to feel sad,"_ he thought, _"but I can't hide this news from her either… What can I do? And what if Nathaniel is saved after all? While there's life, there's hope... Wait… and what if he's not that large for British railways? I assume he might not be heavier than the mile-long trains pulled by Hiro and Henry…"_

Gordon smiled at that possibility, and his heartbeats approved his assumption. Now he was determined to do something to save Nathaniel and keep Caitlin from being sad. He called out to a worker who was nearby and asked him to call Sir Topham Hatt.

Poor Sir Topham Hatt came running to Gordon while wiping his lips with a napkin. He had just swallowed the last mouthful of his lunch. "What's the matter, Gordon?" he asked. "I heard your scream from my office..."

"I-I'm sorry, sir... I-I didn't mean to scare you... I just wanted to tell you something."

"Well, tell me."

"Thank you, sir. Um… do you remember Nathaniel, the engine from the USA?"

"Yes, that friend of Caitlin you had told me about. What happened to him? Did he get a buyer?"

"No, sir… Gabriel has just told me that no buyer has appeared yet, and the period of time they gave Nathaniel to wait for one is running out, because his little sibling will be born in the next days. So-"

"His little sib-? Ah… the child of his driver."

"Yes, sir. So, before giving this heart-breaking news to Caitlin, I…" Gordon swallowed, "I-I wanted to ask you… to save Nathaniel… if possible…"

"Oh…" Sir Topham Hatt felt compassion for Gordon. "I don't want to disappoint you, Gordon, but... he's too large to work on British railways. Perhaps he could pass the curves without difficulties, since he's an articulated engine, but even so, he's pretty heavy for our tracks."

"I know that, sir… But I was thinking; he might not be heavier than the long trains pulled by Hiro and Henry."

"Maybe not, but don't forget that the weight of those trains is distributed among the trucks, however, Nathaniel himself weighs more than 450 tons. If you want to make a comparison; you weigh less than 100 tons..."

Gordon felt very sad. "So… it's not possible..."

"No… and don't think that it's being easy for me to deny you this request… I know that you feel affection for Nathaniel, not to mention that Caitlin loves him as her baby… but I can't do anything."

"Okay, sir… Sorry for bothering you."

"No, Gordon," Sir Topham Hatt put a hand on his engine's running plate, "you didn't bother me. I really mean it."

Gordon smiled sadly. "Just one thing else, sir… I would like you to give me permission to meet up with Caitlin tomorrow midday at Vicarstown to talk with her."

"No problem."

"Thank you, sir."

Sir Topham Hatt gave Gordon some pats on his running plate, and then he left.

Gordon closed his eyes and sighed. _"At least I tried…"_ he thought. _"I must talk with Connor this afternoon…"_ So, in the afternoon, he waited for Connor at the junction for the Ulfstead Branch Line.

When Connor arrived at the junction, he greeted happily as he usually did. "Hello, Gordon!"

"Hello, Connor…" Gordon did not look that happy.

"Um… is it all right, my friend?"

"Actually not… I was waiting for you because I need your help to tell Caitlin the bad news about Nathaniel…"

Connor raised his eyebrows. "What about Nathaniel?"

"Gabriel told me that no buyer has appeared yet, and Mrs. O'Mara will give birth in the next days… Nathaniel wanted Caitlin to know it…"

"Oh, no… Poor Nathaniel… and poor Caitlin! She'll feel so sad…"

"That's why I want you to be with me to give her the news, so we could both comfort her. I've asked Sir Topham Hatt to buy Nathaniel, but he insisted on he's too large for British railways."

Connor gasped. "Did you… really do that, Gordon?"

"Yes… Something inside me asked me to do that, but I was not successful… At least Sir Topham Hatt gave me permission to meet up with Caitlin tomorrow midday at Vicarstown. Could you take her to the shunting yard at that time?"

"Of course… I'll take her there and we'll both talk with her."

"Thank you, Connor. Caitlin really will need our comfort. I don't want to imagine how sad she will feel…"

"But she will also be glad to know that you've tried to save her baby… I thank you very much for doing that, Gordon… I know you've done it for Caitlin."

"I've also done it for Nathaniel, Connor… He's our friend…"

Connor looked tenderly at his _brother-in-law_. "Yes… he's our friend…" he said. He was still impressed by how Gordon accepted the EM-1 as a friend. "Well, I must go now. See you, Gordon."

"See you."

Gordon and Connor spent the rest of the day sad. Although they still believed that Nathaniel could be saved, they knew that they should not hide the news from Caitlin.

Gordon did not want to talk with his friends at Tidmouth Sheds that night. So, he arrived early at the sheds and pretended to sleep so no one would question him about his sadness.

As for Connor, he did not even want to go to the sheds he shared with Caitlin. He went straight to the works to spend the night with the excuse that he had heard "some strange noises" from his boiler and he wanted them to check him early in the morning. Luckily, Caitlin believed it.

The next day, Connor tried to avoid Caitlin during the entire morning. But when it was about midday, he knew that he had to meet up with her and invent any reason to take her to Vicarstown. So, he went to Barrow Station to wait for her.

But while waiting on his platform; Connor heard a conversation from his controller's office.

And the topic of discussion left him open-mouthed.

What Connor heard was something that would further break Caitlin's sweet heart the moment she learns of it...


	2. The Wait is Over

**A/N:** Thank you all for your comments! :)

Guest 4: Gordon and Connor will keep trying to save Caitlin's baby. :) By the way, you called Nathaniel "the angel of the rails" in one of your comments for *A Place in Their Hearts*. I really loved it and I would like to use that phrase in this story.

Australian Guest: Nathaniel still don't imagine he'll have his own blue butterfly!

Guest: The sad parts of this story will end soon.

Guest: Now you'll be able to know about Nathaniel's fate.

I enjoyed writing this chapter. In addition to all the surprises, my second favourite articulated engine is mentioning here and seems to be a threat to Nathaniel...Hope you like it! :)

* * *

 ** _"Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.' " -_** Holy Bible, John 1:49

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

* * *

 **CHAPTER II**

 **THE WAIT IS OVER**

* * *

 _"That's how I wanted to see you, little brother…drenched in tears of happiness…"_ -Austin

* * *

 _"The demand for transportation of building materials is on the rise, gentlemen, and as we already know, we need more heavy-load locomotives to deal with requests. That's the reason why I asked you all to consider the possibility of buying one of those American machines that can take long, heavy trains without a banker engine."_

 _"We totally agree with you, sir, and we already have in our sights an engine that we believe is the most convenient. These are the data provided by our American colleagues."_

 _"Well, let's see it."_

Connor was at Barrow Station waiting for Caitlin when he heard those words from his controller's office.

Together with his controller's voice, he heard at least other four different voices; which meant there was a meeting there. And to judge from what they were saying, the meeting attendees were all railway engineers. The mention of "American machines that can take long, heavy trains" made Connor shiver, and he remained in complete silence so as not to miss a single detail of the conversation.

 _"This locomotive is just impressive...I would even call her a phenomenon...But, don't you think she could represent a problem for our tracks?"_

 _"We've thought of that, sir. For that reason we did some investigations and tests, and considering the results, we can say it's feasible for an Allegheny-type engine to work on our railways."_

Connor's jaw dropped. _"Allegheny?"_ he thought. _"Are they talking about that humongous monster of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway? That's not possible!"_

Connor almost stopped breathing in order to hear well the rest of the conversation.

 _"But this engine weighs 542 tons together with her tender…She's too heavy."_

 _"Yes, she is. But actually, she weighs two tons less than her surviving cousins of the H-8 class."_

 _"Huh? So, is not this the H-8 of the C &O?" _

_"No, sir, this is the AG class of the Virginian, known as Blue Ridge. There's a single AG that has not yet been scrapped."_

 _"Oh…well, I'm really delighted with this engine, but…I'm still a bit worried about her weight…I would like to tell you about another locomotive. Um…I've known there's a Yellowstone EM-1 from the B &O that is for sale as well. She weighs just 458 tons, but she's also very powerful. What do you say?"_

Now Connor really stopped breathing. He could not believe his controller was talking about Nathaniel. For a moment he felt as if the gates of paradise had opened. But the words he heard afterwards shut those gates in his face...

 _"We also knew about that engine, sir, but we desist from her because she's not as powerful as the AG. The EM-1 is not even the most powerful Yellowstone-type class. We could call this class 'the Big Baby'."_

 _"I understand, but what about the price?"_

 _"That's another disadvantage, sir. The price they ask for her is almost the same as the one asked for the AG. So, paying a little more, we'll have a much more powerful machine."_

 _"Okay, I think there's no else to say…Well, since you all agree, we'll buy the AG. I just want to ask you one thing…Please keep this business secret until the engine arrives. It's for…personal reasons."_

 _"No problem, sir. We won't say anything."_

Connor's disappointment was indescribable. He closed his eyes and was about to cry. He even began to feel anger for that AG engine. _"This can't be happening…"_ he thought, _"…this is a disaster! Oh, Nathaniel, I wish I had the authority to force those engineers to buy you...Caitlin will feel even worse now…I must talk with Gordon again before giving her this bad ne-"_

"Hello, Connor!"

"OW! Caitlin...sorry...I-I was a bit distracted."

"Hee! Hee! I see. They said you had something important to tell me."

"O-oh...yes." Connor swallowed. "Um...it's about those strange noises I heard from my boiler yesterday...In reality there was nothing wrong with me...Looks like the noises were from some damaged tracks."

"Oh, glad to hear that. I was worried about you. Well, will we go to our sheds to rest?"

"Erm…my driver wants to have lunch at Vicarstown today."

"Okay. See you later then."

"I love you, my sister…"

"Oh..." Caitlin smiled. "I love you too, my brother…Don't forget it."

Caitlin puffed away from the station.

 _"Oh, my…"_ thought Connor, _"that was so close!"_

At that moment, the meeting at the office finished and the engineers walked away. Then Connor called his controller.

"I must confess something to you, sir," said Connor, "I couldn't avoid hearing what you all were talking about at the office…"

"Oh, Connor…I'm really sorry for not being able to buy Nathaniel. Since I learned of him I wanted to save him, so I had asked my colleagues to look into the possibility of bringing an American articulated engine here. But I didn't imagine that there was an AG still alive, and I must admit that this engine is better for our railway at this moment…I'm really sorry."

"It's all right, sir. I just wanted to thank you for trying to save him and for asking the engineers not to tell anything about the purchase of the AG. Caitlin will feel very sad on hearing of that."

"I did it precisely for her. It'll be better if you and Gordon give her the news."

"That's why I asked you for permission to take Caitlin to Vicarstown, sir, but now I prefer to talk to Gordon about this new situation in the first place. So I would like to go alone."

"No problem. You can go."

"Thank you, sir."

Connor left the station sad. He wondered how Caitlin would react on seeing the new engine; that engine which weighed 84 tons more than Nathaniel…

But while crossing the Vicarstown Bridge, an idea appeared in his mind. "Hey…perhaps if Sir Topham Hatt learns that a 542-tons engine can work here...he decides to buy Nathaniel!" Connor smiled widely. "Yes!" he screamed as he speeded up. He was crazy to meet up with Gordon now.

As they had agreed, Gordon was waiting at Vicarstown Shunting Yard. But the big blue engine got surprised on seeing Connor arriving without Caitlin.

"Hello, Connor. Where's Caitlin?"

"Hello, Gordon. I've not brought her because something unexpected happened and I wanted to talk with you first."

"Oh, no… What is it?"

"Engineers from the Other Railway discovered that an American locomotive heavier than Nathaniel can work on our tracks."

"Wow! That's good news."

"But there's also bad news…My controller wanted to save Nathaniel and proposed to buy him, but his colleagues didn't accept."

"What?! He wanted to save him?"

"Yes. But at the end, they decided to buy another engine. At least my controller asked his colleagues to keep the purchase secret until the new engine arrives; because he knows it'll be better for Caitlin to get the news from us."

"That's nice of him. So, the engine they'll buy is heavier than Nathaniel, isn't her?"

"Exactly. She weighs 542 tons together with her tender."

Gordon raised his eyebrows. "Is it a _Big Boy_?"

"No, it's an _Allegheny_."

"Oh…But why do they want an engine like that?"

"It's for transporting building materials."

"I get it…Well, I think there's still hope...If such a heavy engine can work here, then I'll try to convince Sir Topham Hatt to buy Nathaniel. Here we also need to transport building materials after all."

Connor smiled. "That's why I didn't want to talk with Caitlin yet. I preferred to wait to see if Sir Topham Hatt buys her baby."

"And you did it well. I'm going to talk to him right now. But whatever his response, tomorrow we'll meet here again to tell Caitlin the news. We can't wait so much time."

"I know. I'll bring Caitlin here tomorrow. Well, good luck, Gordon."

"Thank you, Connor."

Connor returned to the mainland, trusting that there was still hope of salvation for Nathaniel. And Gordon went at full steam to Knapford, trusting that this time he would convince his controller to buy the EM-1.

But Gordon would soon discover that things would actually be harder now...

On arriving at Knapford, Gordon called his controller and went straight to the point. "Sir, Connor told me that engineers from the Other Railway discovered that an American locomotive heavier than Nathaniel can work on our tracks."

"Really?"

"Yes, and they've already decided what engine to buy. It's an...um...Allergenic."

"Allergenic?"

"Well…something like that. The thing is that the engine in question weighs 542 tons."

"Oh, my…"

"Could you consider buying Nathaniel now, sir? He's not that heavy…"

Sir Topham Hatt was touched. He could see that what Gordon was doing was a simple act of love towards his girlfriend Caitlin, because on the contrary, he would never be interested on saving an engine that is bigger and more powerful than him…"Gordon, I admire your interest in saving Nathaniel, but…why would we need an engine like him on Sodor? I have all the machines I need to each job. I'll buy more if necessary, but not precisely an EM-1."

"He could take heavy trains of building materials, sir. In fact, that's the reason why the Other Railway's controller will buy a big American engine."

"The Other Railway has its own needs, Gordon. They might need a giant locomotive to take building materials on the mainland. But here; Hiro and Henry are more than enough to do that, since the Island of Sodor is not as large as the mainland…As I said to you before, it's not easy for me to deny you this request, but when I buy an engine, I need his/her to produce money. An engine like Nathaniel demands great maintenance expenses, so I can't afford to buy him just to avoid him being scrapped."

Poor Gordon was on the verge of despair. "But, sir...once Nathaniel is here, perhaps someone else could be interested in him...It could even be necessary for the Other Railway to get another engine to take heavy trains. So-"

"Gordon…"

"Y-yes, sir?"

"I share your feelings...I love all the engines in the world…whether they are steam or diesel; big or small; articulated or duplex... It's a love that runs through my veins...If I could save all of them, I would gladly do it...But I can't…Besides, when it comes to making money; we can't allow feelings to speak louder than reason."

Gordon was not willing to give up. A voice inside him asked him to keep insisting. And it was neither the voice of feelings nor of reason, but an even louder one.

It was Lady's voice.

So, Gordon responded immediately. "I don't mean you to save all the engines in the world, sir…but just one...just one! One engine that spent the last seven months waiting for someone to save him…Please, sir…just one…"

Sir Topham Hatt felt a pain in his heart, but he kept his composure. "I'm sorry, Gordon… I have nothing else to say."

Now Gordon gave up. He did not know what else to say either. "Okay, sir. But I would like you to keep this conversation secret until Connor and I tell Caitlin about her baby's situation and the purchase of the giant engine...The Other Railway's controller also asked his colleagues not to say anything about that...He wanted to buy Nathaniel but his colleagues didn't accept his proposal, and since he knows that Caitlin will feel very sad on knowing about that, he wanted Connor and me to be the first ones to give her the bad news."

Sir Topham Hatt gulped. "Did he want to buy Nathaniel?"

"That was what Connor said, sir."

"O-okay...don't worry...I won't say anything."

"Thank you, sir…See you."

"See you, Gordon."

Gordon left with his heart broken in a thousand pieces, and his controller stayed looking at him with a lump in his throat.

Sir Topham Hatt closed his eyes and put his head down. If the one who begged him to save Nathaniel would have been Percy, he would not be too much surprised. But the fact that his biggest, proud engine was fighting to save someone he had not even seen face to face; was something that touched him to the core. _"Oh, dear…"_ he thought, _"I need some distraction to endure this…or I'll end up buying Nathaniel to put him as an ornament at the entrance to Vicarstown Station…"_

Sir Topham Hatt decided to go to Ulfstead Castle at tea time to have some distraction. He thought that perhaps spending a nice time with his funny friend Sir Robert Norramby would make him happy. And he was right. In fact, he still did not imagine how happy this meeting would make him.

Sir Topham Hatt laughed so much with Sir Norramby during the tea that he forgot the reason why he wanted to go to the castle. But soon, a familiar sound brought him back to reality; the sound of Caitlin's whistle. On hearing that, Sir Topham Hatt's smile faded and he looked down at his cup of tea.

"What's going on, Topham?" asked Sir Norramby.

"It's Caitlin…"

"Huh? Caitlin? She just came to take her passengers back to the mainland..."

"I know…it's just that…well, I didn't want to tell this, but…I think I can't hide from you the reason why I came here."

"Oh…what is it?"

"Did you hear about Nathaniel, the engine from the USA who was a close friend of Caitlin?"

"Um…I just know that a few months ago Caitlin asked me to show Gordon a video she received from an American friend…Perhaps it was that Nathaniel."

"It was him indeed. He's an engine that Caitlin loved a lot when she lived in her country, and now he's about to be scrapped."

"Oh, dear! And does Caitlin know that already?"

"No. Gordon and Connor will tell her in good time."

"What a pity…But how did you get the information?"

"Nathaniel's driver is Sophia Sand's cousin, and they communicate to each other by phone. Gabriel was who gave Gordon the bad news, and then…Gordon begged me to save Nathaniel."

"Wow…So? Will you buy him?"

"Of course not. I explained to Gordon that I don't need an engine like that. But the poor thing became so sad that I felt my heart would explode with pain…That's why I came here. I needed some distraction to forget the conversation I had with him. But Caitlin's whistle made me remember everything again…"

Sir Norramby remained silent for some seconds. He took a sip of tea, and then he looked at Sir Topham Hatt. "What class of engine is Nathaniel?"

"It's an EM-1 from the _B &O Railroad_."

"Ah, he's a giant then. I saw a few EM-1s during my trip to the USA. One of them made rail-fan trips as a farewell to the steam era. I was impressed by how fast he pulled the passenger train...Nathaniel would have been useful here."

"Useful? What he could do here besides eating a whole coal mine and a river of water per week?"

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Don't be so cruel, Topham! An EM-1 can do anything you ask, whether it's transporting coal and cargo, pulling express and mail trains, scaring half the world with her whistle, singing at a concert and more. Oh, and all that is without mentioning she's the most attractive of the Yellowstones! In short; the only thing she can't do is to hide behind a tree! Ho! Ho! Ho!"

"Ha! Ha! That's funny! Well, I see the EM-1 is an awesome machine."

"Yes...And were it not for the fact that she's too large for British railways, I would have bought Nathaniel. I alw-" Sir Norramby stopped talking on seeing that Sir Topham Hatt choked on the tea. "Are you okay, Topham?" he asked while patting his friend on the back.

"Y-yes…thank you…I-I'm sorry for spilling the tea on the table…"

"Oh, don't worry."

"Um…Robert…would you really have bought Nathaniel?"

"Of course. I always wanted to display a big modern engine along with Stephen, so that people could see how much the locomotives have evolved. Stephen would look small, slow and fragile beside Nathaniel, but still, he's the engine that started the steam era of railways! Wouldn't it be exciting?"

Sir Topham Hatt's jaw dropped. He saw a good opportunity to save Nathaniel and make money from him as Gordon had suggested. "It would be very exciting, Robert! I'll tell you something. But I need you not to say anything about it, because it's a secret."

"No problem. I'll keep it under lock and key."

"Thank you. Well, Connor told Gordon that engineers of the Other Railway discovered that giant American engines can work on British tracks."

Sir Norramby raised his eyebrows. "Was Connor drunk?"

"No, he talked with his controller about that. He said that his controller wanted to buy Nathaniel to transport building materials, but his colleagues chose another engine, one that weighs 542 tons."

"My goodness! What's that super-heavy engine?"

"Gordon said she's an…Allergenic."

Sir Norramby had a laughing fit. "Oh, Topham! It's 'Allegheny'!"

"Ah! I already supposed she couldn't be a mite!"

The two men laughed out loud.

"But why is this a secret?" asked Sir Norramby afterward. "Doesn't the Other Railway's controller want people to know he'll buy a giant engine?"

"No, it's not that. The thing is that he knows that Caitlin will get very sad on hearing that Nathaniel will be scrapped, and will feel even worse on learning that an engine who is bigger than him was saved by the engineers. So he wanted Gordon and Connor to be the first ones to give her the bad news before others start talking about the Allegheny."

"Oh…I understand now…Well, Topham; everything sounds quite logical. But since you received this information from unofficial sources, I would like to find out about its veracity before negotiating the purchase."

"W-what do you mean by 'before negotiating the purchase'?"

"I mean, if you'll allow Nathaniel to run on the NWR's tracks, I'll buy him."

Sir Topham Hatt almost exploded with emotion. "Of course yes! I-I even think he could not only produce money as a tourist attraction, but also by helping on the mainland. Gordon had told me that it could be necessary for the Other Railway to get another engine to take heavy trains, and maybe he's right. I know that they urgently need heavy-load locomotives, so the controller could be delighted to count on Nathaniel's help."

"That's right! How about we talk to him right now?"

"Good idea!"

Sir Topham Hatt called the Other Railway's controller. He found out that all what Connor and Gordon said was true. And also, his colleague was delighted with the possibility of having another heavy-load engine to help on the mainland, even more so considering that such an engine would be Nathaniel.

"So, Robert," said Sir Topham Hatt after hanging up the telephone, "now that we already know Connor was not drunk, what do you say?"

"I say I want my Nathaniel to be here for Christmas! No matter how much it snows!"

"Wow…Let the negotiation begin!"

And negotiation immediately began. Sir Norramby got to communicate with the heads of the _B &O Railroad_ and they had a long conversation. They agreed on the price, and Sir Norramby accepted to let Nathaniel see his _little sibling_ before his trip.

After the successful negotiation, Sir Topham Hatt and _the new owner of Nathaniel_ went to Knapford to give Gordon the good news.

As the Nº 4 engine arrived at the big station, he looked very sad. "Good evening, sirs," he greeted. Sir Topham Hatt stared at him sweetly. "Good evening indeed, Gordon. I've talking with Sir Robert about a certain engine during the afternoon tea, and now he has a great announcement for you."

Gordon did not know what to think, but anyway he began to tremble. "W-what's the announcement, sir?" he asked while looking at the Earl of Sodor.

"Put a smile on your face, Gordon," responded Sir Norramby, "I've bought the giant friend of Caitlin called Nathaniel!"

Gordon gasped. He thought he was dreaming. "D-did I hear well, sir?"

"Yes, boy, you heard it well! As soon as your controller told me about the EM-1 I was interested in him. So we've been making some phone calls and now Nathaniel is officially my new engine."

"Wow! Thank you, sir!"

"You're welcome, boy!"

"A-and do you already know when he'll arrive?"

"Not exactly. I've agreed to let him see his little sibling before coming. But considering that the baby can be born at any time, I think he'll be here a few days before Christmas."

Gordon could not believe it. He smiled from buffer to buffer as an idea appeared in his mind. _"That could be my Christmas gift for Caitlin!"_ he thought. _"I'll surprise her with the arrival of Nathaniel!"_ Gordon was very excited. "Sir," he said, "can we continue to keep this a secret until he arrives? I would like Caitlin to have the surprise of her life on seeing him here."

"Of course! I love a good surprise!"

"Don't worry, Gordon," added Sir Topham Hatt. "The Other Railway's controller also promised to keep this a secret. He won't even say it to Connor."

"Thank you, sirs!"

Gordon still thought he was dreaming. The two days of anguish he had lived disappeared from a second to another. He would have never imagined Nathaniel would end up being bought by Sir Robert Norramby. He could not wait to tell Connor about the purchase. But he wondered how he could hide the secret from Caitlin, since she would also be present when he gives Connor the good news. Anyway, the only important thing for him at this moment was the happiness that Caitlin would feel on reencountering with Nathaniel. Undoubtedly, she would have the surprise of her life.

And of course, Gordon also thought of the happiness that Nathaniel himself would feel on knowing he was saved just in time and would come to live near his _mommy…_

* * *

That very night, in Cumberland, Nathaniel could hardly get asleep.

His precarious shed had protected him from the intense heat of the summer and the rains. But now; it did not protect him from the cold autumn nights.

Bernard had said he would come to accompany him and give him some warmth this night, but apparently he did not get permission to do it. So, the EM-1 had to manage to sleep despite the discomfort that the cold was causing him.

Suddenly, Nathaniel was awakened from his sleep by a familiar voice that repeated his name sweetly.

At first he thought he was dreaming and ignored it. But the voice became clearer and clearer and did not stop calling him. So he half-opened his eyes to see what was happening, and he saw his _engineer_ standing in front of him. Mr. O'Mara smiled at him while caressing his pilot. Nathaniel wanted to return the smile, but he was so sleepy that he closed his eyes again.

"Son..." said Mr. O'Mara, "please, wake up…"

Nathaniel was finally aware of reality and completely opened his eyes. Then he noticed that not only his _engineer_ was there, but also Austin.

Nathaniel got scared. "W-what's going on? Why are you two here at this time of night?"

"Calm down, son…everything is right...We just came to give you good news."

"Huh? Is my little sibling already born?"

"No, not yet…The one who has born is you…You've born to a new life."

"W-what?"

Mr. O'Mara swallowed hard. "You were saved, boy…you were saved!"

Nathaniel's jaw dropped and he looked at his brother.

"The wait is over, Nat," said Austin, "a man bought you...Congratulations!"

"O-oh..." Nathaniel's breathing became agitated. "WOW!" he screamed, smiling tearfully. "I-I can't believe it…I-I won't be scrapped…! I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, boy!"

"It's true, my brother!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! This is a miracle! I won't be scrapped!"

What Nathaniel was feeling was impossible to put into words. Just three days ago he got distressed at the idea of being scrapped after meeting his _little sibling_. But now, he was overflowing with joy and happiness with the announcement of his salvation. He never imagined that Heaven had prepared this gift for him. And it happened exactly as Lady said: _"That moment of anguish will be only for your happiness to be greater afterward...Nothing happens by chance."_

But there was still 'the other surprise'…

After a lot of shouts of joy, Nathaniel had an important question to ask his _engineer_. "Will you go with me, sir?"

"Um…I won't be able to go with you, son. Your new home is far from here..."

"Really? Is it… _Union Pacific_?"

"No, it's much farther. Won't you ask about your buyer?"

"Oh…" Nathaniel noticed he had forgotten the most important detail. "Who bought me, sir?"

Mr. O'Mara's heart pounded. He was about to give his engine the news of his life. "You were bought by Sir Robert Norramby..." he said, shivering, "the Earl of the Island of Sodor."

Nathaniel stayed open-mouthed. "S-sodor? W-will I go to...the Island of Sodor?"

Mr. O'Mara just nodded as his chin trembled and his eyes flooded with tears of emotion.

Nathaniel felt the time stopped. "Oh, my Gosh…" he whispered. The sweet image of Caitlin appeared in his mind and he looked up at the sky. "O night divine!" he exclaimed, "O night divine!"

Then, he closed his eyes and burst into tears.

Mr. O'Mara was deeply touched. He wanted to climb onto his engine's pilot and caress his cheek, but he decided to let him have a moment alone with his brother. So he took a few steps backwards to allow Austin to get close to him.

Austin moved towards his brother and pressed his forehead against his. Then, he started to embrace him with his steam.

Nathaniel cried for several minutes. He always knew he would have to go to another railroad in case of being bought, but he never imagined that his new home would be the Island of Sodor. "I'll see my mommy…" he said between sobs, "I'll see my mommy!" And he kept crying.

Austin shed silent tears of emotion. Although he knew that his brother would go far and perhaps they would not see each other again, he was very happy. His brother was not only saved from death, but he would also go to a place where he already had good friends, and therefore he would be received with open arms. Certainly, Austin had reason enough to be happy.

As Nathaniel finally calmed down, Austin looked at him fondly. "That's how I wanted to see you, little brother…" he whispered, "drenched in tears of happiness…"

Nathaniel smiled. "I-I still can believe it, Austin…" he responded with a trembling voice, "I-I was saved…and I'm going to live…near Caitlin…Why did the Lord decide to give me…such a blessing?"

"Because a baby must be near his mommy...That's why."

Nathaniel giggled. "I never thought I would see her again…and see Connor and Gordon…Oh, my Gosh…I don't know what to do with so much happiness!" And he cried again.

Austin continued to hug his brother until this stopped crying. "I don't know what to do with so much happiness either," said Austin, tenderly. "Besides you were saved and will go to live near Caitlin, there are two other reasons for me to be so happy…One of them is that you're leaving me a priceless inheritance…I learned that Mr. O'Mara will be my new engineer…"

"Oh, my brother…" whispered Nathaniel, "I'm glad to leave you my beloved engineer…I feel we'll be connected through him…"

"You're quite right…I'll be able to feel that you're with me every time he'll get into my cab…I wish your new engineer loves you as much as he did it."

"Thank you…I'll do my best to give my new engineer a good impression…And, what's the other reason why you're so happy?"

Austin smiled sweetly. "The other one is that I already know what the love of a couple is like…I have a girlfriend, Nat..."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "Oh, dear…Austin…that's wonderful! I-I knew you would win the heart of a girl! Who's the fortunate one?"

"It's Jessica, the friend of Caitlin from the N&W I've told you about. After spending so many months sharing our friendship, she and I fell in love with each other."

"Wow…Congratulations, my brother!"

"Thank you, Nat. I want you to fall in love too, so that your happiness could be even greater."

"Oh…" A cute smile shone on Nathaniel's face.

Austin wanted to keep talking with his brother, but it was getting too late and Mr. O'Mara was to return home. So he stopped hugging Nathaniel and moved back a little.

Mr. O'Mara climbed onto his engine's pilot and caressed his cheek. "Congratulations, son," he said, tenderly.

Nathaniel stared into his eyes with deep affection. "Thank you, sir..." he responded, "and thanks for all the love you gave me these years...You're the most wonderful person in the world."

Mr. O'Mara swallowed. "You have nothing to thank me for, Nat...It was my pleasure to be your engineer...I'll miss you a lot, but I'm infinitely grateful to the Lord for saving you from death and for sending you to a place where you'll be received by friends who love you. And as for your future engineer, I'm sure he'll love you too, because you're the most endearing engine in the world."

Nathaniel smiled tearfully.

Mr. O'Mara was quite right. Nathaniel will be very much loved by his new _engineer_. In fact, his new _engineer_ was already delighted with him since he saw him in a photo at Gabriel Sand's house a few months ago…

"You know the date to my trip, sir?" asked Nathaniel.

"The date was not marked yet, because Sir Norramby wants you to see your little sibling before your trip."

"Wow! That's nice of him. I was precisely wondering if I would see my little sibling before I go…Is it still a long time before your wife gives birth, sir?"

"No, the baby will be born within the next days, perhaps one week. So, most likely you'll be on Sodor for Christmas. What do you say?"

"Oh, sir, I'll explode with joy!"

Mr. O'Mara and Austin were pleased to see Nathaniel so happy.

At that moment, the sound of an approaching engine was heard. It was Bernard. He entered in the berth near Nathaniel and became a bit worried on seeing Austin and Mr. O'Mara there, since they usually did not come for visit so late in the night. "Good evening you three!" he greeted.

"Good evening, Bernard!"

"Sorry for the delay. I was so busy today that couldn't get earlier. Can I ask the reason for the meeting?"

"We've come to give Nathaniel good news," responded Austin, "he was bought and will go to live on the Island of Sodor!"

Bernard stayed open-mouthed for a few seconds. Then he showed his emotion. "AAAAAAAAAH!" he screamed and began to sound his horn. Nathaniel and the two visitors laughed out loud. "Accompany me, Austin!" exclaimed the diesel. "Blow your whistle!"

"Okay!"

Poor Mr. O'Mara had to put his hands over his ears. The noise from the two engines made the tracks tremble.

"Congratulations, Nat!" said Bernard. "This is just wonderful!"

"Thank you, my friend! And thanks for coming as well."

"You're welcome! Oh…but there are only two berths here…" Bernard looked at Nathaniel's brother, "I'll leave this place for you, Austin."

"No, no, Bernard. You deserve to spend the night here for having been so good to my brother all this time.

I'll look for another place for me."

"Well…I'll stay here then. And I'll keep him warm the entire night."

"Thank you, Bernard."

"Okay, guys," said Mr. O'Mara, "it's too late and we must all sleep." He looked at Nathaniel. "Austin will take you to the works tomorrow morning. Your brakes will be repaired and you'll be able to have fun with your brother until the day of your trip."

"Wow! Glad to hear that, sir."

Mr. O'Mara smiled and gave Nathaniel a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, son…Have sweet dreams."

"Thank you, sir. Good night."

Mr. O'Mara came down from his engine's pilot and approached Bernard. "Thank you for looking after Nat," he said while giving the diesel a kiss on his cheek.

Bernard was touched. "Y-you're welcome, sir…It was my pleasure…G-good night."

"Good night, boy."

Austin and Nathaniel were touched as well. They looked at each other and smiled.

Mr. O'Mara got into Austin's cab and this pumped his pistons. "Well, see you two tomorrow," said Austin. "Good night!"

"Good night, Austin!"

The EM-1 #7600 winked at his brother and began to move back.

Nathaniel and Bernard talked animatedly until almost midnight. They both were very happy. Finally, Bernard was the first to fall asleep, since he was very tired after his busy day. But Nathaniel stayed looking at the photo he had behind his lamp. _"I'll soon be with you, my friends…"_ he thought, _"I'll see your smiles with my own eyes…I love you all…I love you, mommy…"_

Then, Nathaniel looked up at the sky. _"I don't know how to thank You for so many gifts, my Lord.._. _Saying 'thank you' isn't enough...But as there's no other word, I can only say thank you...Thank you, my Lord...I'll enjoy every day of my new life..."_

After a while, Nathaniel closed his eyes.

And this time he could get asleep comfortably.

Bernard protected him from the cold by enfolding him with the heat that came out of his ventilation slots.

* * *

...

* * *

 **A/N:** This story is a bit long. My idea was to upload the Christmas Eve's chapter today, but unfortunately I couldn't do it. I'm really sorry. At least you already know who saved Nathaniel and what will be Gordon's Christmas gift for Caitlin.

I took the data about the American engines from _www*steamlocomotive*com_. I assume you know who the AG that the Other Railway will acquire is. :)

Two Alleghenies H-8 were preserved. One of them, the #1601, is at the _Henry Ford Museum_ in Dearborn, Michigan. The other one, the #1604, is at the _B &O Railroad Museum_ in Baltimore...precisely beside the P7 #5300 "President Washington"! :D In the previous fic I wanted to portray the arrival of Washington at the museum and his encounter with the H-8, but I rejected the idea because that would have been very far from the reality, since the H-8 arrived at the museum just in 1989, almost thirty years after the events of the fic.

See you, my friends!


	3. Another Gift From God

Hello my friends, I'm sorry for making you all wait so long. I was very busy these months and didn't have time to write. But besides that, there was another reason... I've lost interest in the series because of the changes introduced by Mattel. You may have your own reasons to defend these changes and I totally respect your opinios, but to me, the series I loved so much has ended. With the death of railway realism, the unnecessary invasion of Tidmouth by women, and the once respectable Sir Topham Hatt turned into a mere laughing-stock; I don't give any chance to this new era. The series is no longer based on the Railway Series, but on the political correctness and Mattel's desire to gain money by making locomotives act like Paw Patrol's dogs. My children are as disappointed as me. With all that, this will be the last fic you'll see from me in a long time. I don't want to stop writing, but I don't know when I'll be able to overcome the disappointment and get inspiration again. Maybe next year, or the following one. I can't promise anything.

But enough of complaints.

Thanks for your beautiful comments! I'm happy that you guys support this story. I hope the long wait was worth it.

Guest 4: You can be sure that Caitlin will be out of breath on seeing her Christmas surprise from Gordon. Oh, and there will also be a powerful moment bettwen her and her adoptive brother Connor.

Alexandria: Don't worry, my friend. Nathaniel is about to go to Sodor.

Now, meet Austin's girlfriend and Nathaniel's little sibling. :)

* * *

 **CHAPTER III**

 **ANOTHER GIFT FROM GOD**

* * *

 _"Had it not been because you were forming inside your mommy... I would no longer have been here now… You saved my life."_ -Nathaniel

* * *

There are two classes of joy; the bad and the good.

The bad one comes from pride; from the fact of believing yourself superior to others and getting personal achievements at the expense of others. This class of joy is not satisfactory, because it actually destroys the soul.

The good one comes from love; from the fact of forgetting yourself and making others happy even if you have to fight or suffer to get it. This class of joy does is satisfactory, because it purifies the soul and makes it feel almost the joy of the angels themselves…

And this was the joy that Gordon was feeling while waiting for Connor and Caitlin at Vicarstown; the good one. He had put aside his pride and he fought to save his former 'dangerous enemy' to make Caitlin happier than ever.

Gordon was very excited while waiting for the arrival of his friends. Before coming to Vicarstown, he had talked with Gabriel and Sophia about how to hide the good news from Caitlin, since it was obvious that she would be waiting for some announcement. The young spouses already knew about Nathaniel's purchase, because Mr. O'Mara had just communicated with them.

As Connor and Caitlin finally arrived at the shunting yard, Gordon smiled from buffer to buffer and his heart pounded. "Hello you two!" he greeted. "Hello, Gordon!" responded the streamlined engines.

"I have news for you Caitlin," continued Gordon, "so I asked Connor to bring you here."

"Oh… Go ahead, honey."

"It's about Nathaniel… Gabriel told me that no buyer has appeared yet and his little sibling will be born in the next days. But the heads of the railway decided to extend until the end of December the period of time they had given him."

"Wow! That's wonderful! It'll be very hard for me to endure a possible announcement of his scrapping… After having seen his videos, I felt an immense desire for him to be saved."

And Gordon felt an immense desire to tell Caitlin the truth so that she could stop worrying about her _baby_. But his desire to give her the surprise of her life spoke louder. "Easy, my love," he responded sweetly, "while there's life, there's hope. If he has survived until now, it must be for some reason."

Caitlin smiled. "You're right. Everything forms part of a higher plan."

Connor was a bit confused, although he felt happy with the announcement. He thought that Gordon would tell the result of his conversation with Sir Topham Hatt as they had agreed. "Glad to hear that, Gordon," he said. "Nathaniel will be able to spend Christmas with his driver's family."

"Yes, Connor. I'm sure it'll be a beautiful Christmas for him."

The three engines kept talking while their crewmen had lunch in the dining room of the station. Gordon was eager to tell Connor the good news, but as their crewmen came back, he did not know how to ask Caitlin to let them alone without raising suspicion. Fortunately, Connor was also eager to talk to him alone, and a rather ingenious phrase came to his mind.

"Go ahead, Caitlin," said Connor. "Today I'll let you win the race."

"Hee! Hee! Okay!" Caitlin said goodbye to Gordon and puffed away without suspecting anything.

"Wow…" said Gordon, "that was incredible. I precisely wanted to talk with you alone, Connor."

"Me too, Gordon. I wanted to know if you talked with Sir Topham Hatt yesterday…"

"Yes, I did it," Gordon smiled, "but try not to explode into shouts of joy before what I'll say. This is a State secret."

Connor smiled as well. "Okay. What is it?"

"Sir Robert Norramby bought Nathaniel."

"WHAT? S-sir Robert?"

"Yes, the Earl of Sodor… He saved our friend!"

"Oh, my Gosh…" Connor felt a wave of happiness through his boiler, "I-I can't believe it! Gordon… how was that? Why did Sir Robert buy him?"

"Well, I just know that my conversation with Sir Topham Hatt was utterly useless. It was impossible to convince him to save Nathaniel, because he didn't know what an EM-1 might be useful for on Sodor. But at evening, I saw him and Sir Robert at Knapford, and he said that they were talking about a certain engine during the afternoon tea and that they had a great announcement for me. Then, Sir Robert said he bought Nathaniel and will let him meet his little sibling before his trip. I thought I was dreaming!"

"Ha! Ha! Oh, Gordon, this is just a miracle! B-but why didn't you say it in front of Caitlin? She was eager to have news about her baby…"

"Because an idea occurred to me… I would like Nathaniel's arrival to be a Christmas surprise for Caitlin. So, we must keep the news secret. "

"Woooow…" Connor opened his eyes widely, "what a wonderful idea! She'll have the surprise of her life! Don't you worry, Gordon, I won't say anything about this to anyone. This is our State secret."

"Thank you, Connor. Sir Topham Hatt and Sir Robert won't say anything either. Oh, and it's not true that the heads of the railway extended the period of time they gave Nathaniel. That's only something Gabriel and I invented in order to hide the secret from Caitlin."

"Perfect! I see that you already took care of all the details. Caitlin will feel an immense love for you on seeing your Christmas surprise and knowing that you've fought to save her baby."

"Don't forget that you had much to do with this, Connor. Were it not for the fact that you alerted me about the purchase of the other giant engine; I wouldn't have been talked with Sir Topham Hatt again. So, the surprise will be from you as well."

"Thank you, Gordon." Connor smiled at his _brother-in-law_ tenderly. "By the way, Caitlin might be wondering why I'm delaying. I'd better go now, but we'll keep talking about this at another time."

"No problem. I'll keep you up to date with the news."

Connor said goodbye to Gordon and left the yard with a huge smile on his face. He was so happy that as he reached Caitlin after crossing the Vicarstown Bridge he screamed with all his strength.

"THE LAST ONE TO ARRIVE IS A BROKEN DOWN DIESEEEEEEL!"

"OH! HA! HA! You took your time, Connor!"

"And not even then you manage to beat me!"

"HA! HA! HA!"

Caitlin would never have imagined the reason for Connor's happiness...

* * *

Meanwhile, in Cumberland, Austin was trying to move Nathaniel to take him to the works.

Owing to the time difference between England and the east of the USA, here it was only 8:00 AM in the morning.

The movement was causing Nathaniel pain, even though Austin's _engineer_ had put some oil in his gears. He had many rusted parts and the cold made the situation worse. Austin pulled him slowly, stopping every few meters to let him relax, until finally the lubrication made its calming effect. Bernard accompanied them up to the works, keeping himself on the track beside Nathaniel to give him warm and making the trip more comfortable for him. Nathaniel was grateful to him for this sweet treatment.

Once at the works, the workers immediately began to fix Nathaniel's brakes. Austin stayed there as well, taking advantage of the fact that it was time for his routine check-up. They remembered that Connor had said that his last brother left his lamp to him as a gift to be "the light that would guide his way", and they decided to follow that meaningful example. So, they asked the workers to exchange their lamps with each other.

A few days later, the brothers left the works. Nathaniel was clean and well lubricated, although he was not in a position to pull trains. He needed a general maintenance, the replacement of all his rusted parts and a new coat of paint, but because money was no longer allocated for the maintenance of steam locomotives, he would have to wait until he got to Sodor to be properly repaired. The repair of his brakes had been part of the agreement between the heads of the _railroad_ and Sir Robert Norramby.

Mr. O'Mara was waiting for the EM-1s at the nearby station. He felt happy on seeing them arrive and seeing Nathaniel move by himself again. He conversed with the brothers for a while and told them about how the purchase had been. Gabriel had communicated with him the previous day and informed him about the details.

Nathaniel was impressed to know that Gordon and Connor were the two major protagonists of his salvation, especially Gordon, who 'faced' his controller directly. He became excited by the fact that his new owner lived in Ulfstead, precisely the place in which Gordon and Caitlin declared their love to each other. But even more excited he was on knowing he would be the Christmas surprise for Caitlin. Besides, he was pleased to know that another giant compatriot was rescued from the scrap and would go to the Other Railway. He was eager to meet the Virginian's AG.

Mr. O'Mara also told Nathaniel that the heads of the _railroad_ had talked with people from the Port of New York about his trip, and they said there was a place available for him on a ship that would depart on November 14th. Given that today was the 7th, Nathaniel would probably see his _little sibling_ before then and he could take that ship. Otherwise, the next place for him would be available only in mid-December, in which case he would not arrive at Sodor before Christmas.

After telling all the details of the purchase, Mr. O'Mara gave Nathaniel some recommendations to take into account during the days he would spend with Austin in Columbus. Mr. O'Mara looked like a father who gives orders to his teenage son when this one is about to go to a party...

"Don't go too fast, Nat, or you could have another failure in your brakes and this time it will be worse. Better go slowly. And don't even think about pulling any train! Remember that you still need a great maintenance to be able to work. But you can be Austin's back engine if you want, as long as you two don't go that fast. And at all times stay close to your brother, because he is the only one who could help you in case you have a problem. Have you heard me well?"

"Yes, sir! I'll do everything as you indicated."

"Very good. Well, now go have fun. I'll let you know when your little sibling is born."

"Thank you, sir!"

Nathaniel and Austin left the station happily. Mr. O'Mara would have liked to go with his engine, but he did not want to be far from home. His wife was in the last days of her pregnancy and he wanted to accompany her when the baby is born. So, another _engineer_ was designated to Nathaniel.

The brothers had a nice journey. Nathaniel was immensely happy to be free and be able to puff down the line again. On arriving at Columbus, they made a ride through the city and many people took a photo with them. And at night, Nathaniel slept in a warm shed beside Austin.

The next morning, the brothers went to Cincinnati. Austin pulled his passenger train and Nathaniel was his banker engine. They were happy to take a train together again, and Austin in particular was eager to introduce his girlfriend to Nathaniel.

Once in Cincinnati, they left the passengers at the station and entered the yard to wait for Jessica. And some minutes later, a streamlined engine came to them. "It's her," said Austin, smiling excitedly. Nathaniel was astonished by so much beauty…

Jessica was a gorgeous N&W J class 4-8-4 locomotive. She wore a jet black livery with a Tuscan red horizontal stripe on her sides, which extended from her pilot steps to her tender. On both of her sides, the number '611' in yellow adorned the red stripe.

Austin was so happy to see his girlfriend that he advanced to her. "My cotton candy…" he said and kissed Jessica´s lips sweetly. The way Austin liked to describe Jessica was _"soft like cotton and sweet like candy"…_

Nathaniel smiled. _"That's the exclusive kiss,"_ he thought, _"a kiss full of love and respect..."_

Soon after, Austin stared into Jessica's eyes. "I'm sorry for my absent," he whispered, "I didn't have time to let you know what happened."

"Don't worry, honey," responded Jessica in her soft feminine voice, "they told me you were in Cumberland with your brother... I'm happy that he was saved."

"Oh…" Austin smiled with relief, "you already know then… Come on, he wants to meet you."

They approached Nathaniel, and Jessica smiled at him.

"Nat, this is Jessica," said Austin. "Jessica, this is my brother."

"Hello, Jessica," greeted Nathaniel, "pleased to meet you."

"Hello, Nathaniel. Pleased to meet you too, and glad to know that you were saved. I wish you have a wonderful life in your new home."

"Thank you. I'm going to the Island of Sodor, by the way."

"Wow! So you'll see our friend Caitlin. I'm sure she'll be delighted to have her cute baby near her."

"O-oh…" Nathaniel blushed. "I feel very blessed… not only for having been saved and being able to see my mommy again, but also for seeing that my brother will stay in good company… I'm really happy that you two are in love. I wish the very best for you two."

"Thank you, Nat. Austin is a real blessing for me, because he came to my life when I needed it most… Last year I lost all my thirteen sisters and I was about to be scrapped as well, but a group of people begged for my life and thanks to them I ended up being donated to the city of Roanoke. I felt fortunate for having survived, but I was very sad about my sisters… Then I met Austin, and he helped me overcome the pain and recover the joy… He gave me so much affection that I fell in love with him… and now I'm happier than ever."

Nathaniel smiled at Jessica fondly. He noticed that she was the perfect girlfriend for Austin and was happy for that. Now he was even surer that Austin would stay in good company.

The three engines remained at the yard until it was time to return to Columbus. Jessica accompanied the EM-1s, since she also had a train to take up to there.

Nathaniel spent two pleasant days with Austin and Jessica. Then, he received a wonderful announcement from his temporary _engineer_ ; his _little sibling_ had just been born. He felt very excited and wanted to go to see the baby immediately, but the _engineer_ said that he had to wait a little, since the baby and his/her mother could not go outdoor yet. So, Nathaniel spent another two days with his brother and his _sister-in-law_ , until the time to leave arrived.

The morning of the farewell, the three engines were at Columbus Station. "It was a pleasure to have shared these days with you, Nat," said Jessica. "I´ll never forget you, and I want you to always be happy."

"Thank you, Jessica; I'll never forget you either. And thanks for loving my brother so much. You two make a beautiful, sweet couple. I wish Heaven bless you two."

"Oh… thank you. May Heaven bless you too. Please, say hello to Caitlin for me and tell her I always remember her with fondness."

"I´ll tell her."

Nathaniel did not want to leave yet. He had met Jessica only four days ago and he really liked her. But he also wanted to meet his _little sibling_ as soon as possible so he could take the ship that would depart on November 14th. So, he said goodbye to Jessica and went to stock up on coal and water for the journey.

Meanwhile, Austin approached his girlfriend. "It pains me to leave you, my love…" he said, "but I want to be with my brother until his departure… I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Oh honey, don´t need to apologise… I know you love your brother… Besides, it´s a blessing that you had gotten permission to accompany him to New York… Go with him and give him your affection until the last second… I'll keep taking care of your passengers."

Austin smiled and looked at Jessica with deep love. "Thank you, my cotton candy…" he responded, "thanks for helping me… Thanks for being mine…" And he gave her a long, delicate kiss on her lips.

As every time Austin kissed her; Jessica relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Austin was quite tender with her… "I love you..." they whispered to each other between their kisses… and they only stopped once Nathaniel was ready to go.

While Austin and Nathaniel puffed away, Jessica looked at them fondly. She also liked Nathaniel and felt blessed to have had the opportunity to meet him. She already imagined how happy Caitlin will feel on seeing her "cute baby" again.

During the journey, Nathaniel just thought of his new-born _little sibling_ and was eager to reach Connellsville, the place in which Mr. O'Mara had said he would wait for him. "I'm crazy to see the baby!" he exclaimed happily, "Can't wait any longer! I'm going to explode!"

"Ha! Ha! Don't forget the _"not to go too fast"_ order, Nat!"

"I'm trying, Austin! I swear I'm trying!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

And at last, after a long but lively journey, the two engines arrived at the station in Connellsville. They saw Mr. O'Mara on the platform and greeted him. "Hello sir! Congratulations on becoming a dad!"

"Hello boys! Thank you!"

"We're so happy for you, sir," said Austin.

"We cried on hearing that your wife had given birth," added Nathaniel.

"Oh boys," Mr. O'Mara smiled widely, "you don't imagine how happy I'm and how much I cried as well. My baby didn't cry as much as me."

The three laughed.

"I hope you two have had some nice days together," said Mr. O'Mara afterward.

"So it was, sir!" replied Nathaniel. "We had lots of fun and I met Austin's wonderful girlfriend."

"Wow… Glad to hear that. I can see you had some really funny days. By the way, I've been in contact by telephone with my cousins and they told me something that left me excited." Mr. O'Mara looked at Austin. "Sir Robert Norramby has been here some years ago," he continued, "and made a trip on your passenger train!"

The EM-1s stayed open-mouthed. "Stunning steep climbs!" exclaimed Austin. "My brother's owner was in my train!"

"And he even took a photo on your pilot," added Mr. O'Mara.

"W-WOW!"

"Who would have imagined it!" said Nathaniel. "Don't you remember him, Austin?"

"To be honest… n-no… There were so many rail-fans taking photos with me that I don't remember all of them… But I feel honored to know that he was so close to me. Oh dear… this is just incredible! That's good news, sir. Thanks for telling us."

"You're very welcome, boy. I love to have good news for you two. Well," Mr. O'Mara looked at Nathaniel again, "are you crazy to meet your little sibling?"

"What a question, sir!"

"Ha! Ha! I'll be right back." Mr. O'Mara winked at his engine.

Nathaniel trembled on seeing his _engineer_ walking towards a bench at the entrance to the station. Mrs. O'Mara was there with the baby.

Austin stared at his brother sweetly. He knew how much Nathaniel had waited for this moment… This encounter was to be happy and sad at the same time, because meeting his _little sibling_ would have been the last thing he would do in life in case not being bought by anyone… But Nathaniel was saved at the last minute, and now this encounter was pure happiness. Austin still could not believe how his brother's fate had changed from one day to another.

Mr. O'Mara approached the bench where his wife was sat. He carefully took the baby in his arms and helped his wife stand up.

Nathaniel watched the scene with deep fondness, wanting to record each second of this encounter in his memory. His _engineer_ smiled from ear to ear while walking with his treasure in his arms, and together with the beautiful family, a relative was with them carrying a camera… Undoubtedly, Mr. O'Mara wanted _to record_ this encounter as well.

"Congratulations, ma'am!" exclaimed the two engines as the family reached de edge of the platform.

"Thank you, boys!" replied Mrs. O'Mara. "Glad to see you moving by yourself again, Nat. I'm very happy that you were saved. I really didn't want to lose you."

"Thank you, ma'am… and I'm happy to see that you're okay. I was worried about you because I've heard that a woman suffers pain when gives birth…"

"Oh…" Mrs. O'Mara looked tenderly at Nathaniel, "maybe you won't understand this, but one thing is to feel pain, and another one is to suffer… I can't deny I felt pain, but I was happier than ever. It was a wonderful moment, and my husband was at my side all the time comforting me."

"O-oh, well… I stay calm then."

"Thanks for caring about my welfare, Nat. You're very sweet… Now, meet your little sibling."

Nathaniel smiled and trembled while looking at his _engineer_. This was an historical moment.

A white crochet blanket, which had been woven entirely by Mrs. O'Mara, wrapped and protected the baby from the cold. Mr. O'Mara lifted the part of the blanket that covered the tiny face of the baby and came even closer to the edge of the platform. Then, he sweetly looked at his engine. "Nat…" he said, very excited, "she's Nathania… your little sister."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "O-oh d-dear… it's… a girl!" Tears began to roll down his cheeks. "It's a beautiful girl…"

"A little princess…" added Austin, also in tears, "a cute little princess sent by Heaven..."

The EM-1s were pleasantly surprised. None of them had thought that the baby could be a girl.

"Sir… t-this is wonderful… a-and _Nathania_ sounds much like my name…"

"In fact, it's the female variant of your name… She's our greatest _Gift from God._ "

"W-woow… So… that's the female variant of my name… I love it! She's a precious gift _…_ "

Mr. and Mrs. O'Mara were moved by the tender way in which Nathaniel looked at his _little sister_. The giant engine was really amazed and happy. "Talk to her, Nat," proposed Mr. O'Mara as he held the baby up so Nathaniel could see her better, "talk to her… and as soon as she grows she'll see the video."

"Oh…" Nathaniel quickly thought of what to say and cleared his throat. He was already an expert in talking in front of a camera… "Hello, Nathania," he said, sweetly, "welcome to life… I'm Nathaniel, your big brother… Well, it sounds a bit weird since I'm a locomotive, but I consider myself as your brother because your daddy is my engineer… I love that you and I share the same name..."

At this moment, Nathania slowly opened her eyes and looked towards her _big brother_ 's face. She recognized Nathaniel's voice… She had heard it from her mother's belly several times, because her mother also visited the EM-1 during the last months. So, that voice was already familiar to her… And although she still could not see the distant things clearly, her _brother_ 's black eyes caught her attention and she focused on them.

"Oh my…" Nathaniel was touched by the innocent gaze his _little sister_ gave him. The baby girl's cute eyes were as blue as her father's… "You're beautiful, Nathania…" said the EM-1, "you're a beautiful miracle… not only for your parents, but also for me… because Heaven saved my life through you… I really mean that… Had it not been because you were forming inside your mommy; they wouldn't have given me enough time to wait for a buyer… and I would no longer have been here now…" Nathaniel shed tears again, "You saved my life, Nathania… you saved my life… Y-you're another _Gift from God_ to me…"

Nathaniel paused and swallowed hard to beat the lump that had formed in his throat. Mr. and Mrs. O'Mara were in tears as well.

And Austin was also touched. He felt fortunate to be present on this very special moment for his brother.

"I'm so happy for you, little sister…" continued Nathaniel, "You look like a trophy in your daddy's hands... and you really are... because your parents waited for you during seven years... Yes, seven years… They felt life Heaven when you finally appeared…" Nathaniel swallowed again. "You know what?" he continued, "your daddy was very young when I met him the day I was born… and we became close friends… I remember the moment he gave me a great announcement… He said _'I'm in love with the world's most lovely girl!'_... and some days after, he introduced his future wife to me…" Nathaniel smiled. "I took your mommy to the church on their wedding day… She looked beautiful with her white dress…"

Mrs. O'Mara smiled tearfully.

"Then I took them to their honeymoon travel…" continued the EM-1. "I'm honored to have been part of their lives… You have wonderful parents, Nathania… you're the sweet piece of Heaven that the Lord sent to crown their love... You'll be very happy with them… I-I love you, little sister… I-I'm about to go to a new home far from here… b-but I'll never forget you and your parents… I-I'll think of you three every day… I love you, Nathania… my cute little princess… Y-you saved my life…" Nathaniel could no longer continue. He closed his eyes for a while until his tears stopped.

Mr. O'Mara enfolded the baby in his arms again. "What a speech, boy…" he said, "you moved us… We're also honored to have had you in our lives… We love you."

"You're an angel," added Mrs. O'Mara, "and Nathania will also love you… We'll always talk to her about her big brother."

"Thank you," replied Nathaniel, looking sweetly at the precious family. His _little sister_ was still watching him attentively. "Oh, she's so lovely… and so innocent… and delicate… Sir, I-I would like to take you all for a ride… Can I?"

"Oh… that's a good idea, Nat! I'm going to talk to the stationmaster about it. It'll be wonderful for Nathania to have her first ride by train with you."

"Wow! I'll do my best."

"Okay. Just give me a minute."

While Mr. O'Mara went to talk to the stationmaster, Nathaniel trembled with emotion. "This is priceless, Austin..." he said, "I met my little sister! At last I could see my engineer carrying his own baby in his arms… and now I'll take the little princess for her first ride by train… I can't ask for more…"

Austin's gaze was full of tenderness. "You have no idea how happy I'm, Nat… Everything ended well for you… You were saved just in time… you could see your engineer's beautiful baby… and now you'll be able to be on Sodor for Christmas…"

"Oh, Austin… I feel so blessed… and I'm so happy that you're with me sharing these unforgettable moments… I love you, my brother…"

Austin swallowed. "I love you too."

The two engines looked at each other with affection.

Soon after, Mr. O'Mara came back with good news. "They gave us green light for the ride, guys. We can go to Broad Ford and return."

"Perfect, sir!" replied Nathaniel.

"Will I go too, sir?" Austin asked eagerly.

"Of course, boy, you're also part of the family. Besides, you have to guide your brother."

"Oh… thank you, sir!"

The EM-1s went to the turntable to turn around. Then, a coach was coupled up to Nathaniel and they returned to the platform. "My goodness…" said Nathaniel, raising his eyebrows. "Austin… Mr. O'Mara is right; you have to guide me… I already forgot how to take passengers!"

Austin smiled. "Easy… it isn't so hard. First of all, don't let off steam until the doors of the coach are closed."

"O-okay."

Nathaniel did not even breathe while Mr. O'Mara boarded the coach with his family. He did not want to make any mistake. As the door of the coach was closed and the stationmaster authorized the departure, he let off steam.

"Very well, Nat," said Austin. "Now, put your brakes off and move as slow as possible so as not to make the coach bounce. And once we get out of the station, you can accelerate little by little."

"Okay." Nathaniel did as his brother had said. He began to roll his wheels a little nervous, but some minutes later, he puffed down the line feeling more confident. He did not go so fast, because he wanted to give a calm, comfortable ride to his distinguished passengers.

And he did it.

Inside the coach, the O'Mara spouses were enjoying the ride. They remembered the happy moments they had lived with Nathaniel, especially their wedding day and their honeymoon travel… They were still moved by the words that Nathaniel said to his _little sister_... They agreed on the fact that their baby girl saved his life.

As for Nathania, the ride was being highly pleasant to her. At first she was alert, watching everything around her. But at some point, her eyelids became heavy… The coach soft movement was an irresistible invitation to sleep, and the nice sound of Nathaniel's puff was a real lullaby. So, Nathania closed her eyes, turned her little head to her father's chest… and slept sweetly.

Mr. O'Mara could not feel happier. With one arm he was holding his baby girl, and with the other one he was embracing his wife... _"Thank you, my Lord..."_ he thought, _"all this is just priceless..."_

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was also enjoying the moment. He smiled widely, feeling that taking his _little sister_ for her first ride by train was the greatest privilege he have ever had. He never thought of doing this. It was an idea that came to his mind while talking to Nathania, and fortunately, he got the permission to do it.

"Nat," Austin called suddenly.

"Yes?"

"The little princess is asleep…"

"Oh… Does it mean that the ride is too comfortable or... too boring?"

The two engines laughed.

"I'm sure it's quite comfortable. You should see how Mr. O'Mara is kissing his wife…"

"W-wow…" Nathaniel felt even happier.

The ride went smoothly. Nathaniel was cautious all the time. And when they got back to the station, he softly put his brakes on, being able to stop without make the coach bounce.

"Well done, Nat. You did it perfectly."

"Thank you, Austin! But that's because you guided me perfectly..."

Austin giggled.

Soon, the distinguished passengers came out of the coach. "Thank you for the marvellous ride, Nat," said Mr. O'Mara. "It was so pleasant that you put Nathania to sleep," added his wife.

"I'm happy to have been able to give you all a pleasant ride. I'll never forget this day..." Nathaniel watched his _little sister_ again. The baby girl looked just adorable between her father's muscular arms.

Mr. O'Mara and his family took some photos with the EM-1s. Then it was time to get home, since the temperature was too low for Nathania to remain outside for a long time.

"Well, boys," said Mr. O'Mara, "we must return home now."

"Okay, sir!" replied the engines.

"By the way, sir," said Nathaniel, "about my journey…"

"Yes, Nat, all is ready. Tomorrow midday we're going to New York, and the following day you'll depart to Sodor."

"Oh… Will you accompany us to the port, sir?"

"Of course. I want to be in your cab one last time."

Nathaniel smiled tenderly. "Thank you, sir… I also want that."

Mr. O'Mara swallowed hard and returned the smile. "Okay... You two can stay here tonight, or if you prefer, you can go to Cumberland."

"In fact, I prefer to go to Cumberland, sir. There's someone I want to see there."

"No problem, son. But remember to be here tomorrow midday. I'll bring Nathania for you to see her again."

"Yes, sir!"

"Then, see you tomorrow, boys!"

"See you, sir!" responded the EM-1s.

While Mr. O'Mara and his family left the station, the engines set off for Cumberland. The one that Nathaniel wanted to see was Bernard.

Arriving at Cumberland Yards was very emotional for the EM-1s. This was the place where they had met fifteen years ago... This was the place where Caitlin had called Nathaniel "my baby" for the first time... And also, this was the place where Nathaniel had been the last seven months waiting for his destiny...

Had it not been because Bernard greeted them enthusiastically with a smile bigger than his own face, nostalgia and sadness would have taken over their hearts.

Bernard felt happy on seeing Nathaniel moving by himself after so much time. All these months he had wished that Nathaniel could be "free like a butterfly", and now his wish came true. The three engines spent the afternoon together, talking and laughing. Nathaniel and Austin told Bernard about their stay in Columbus and their meeting with Nathania, and Bernard told them all the things that happened in the _railroad_ the last days. Then, at evening, they went to the sheds to spend the night.

And while all the diesels slept soundly, the two EM-1s kept talking for a little while.

"I wanted to tell you about Jessica during our journey from Columbus this morning," said Nathaniel; "but I was so anxious to see my engineer's baby that I completely forgot it."

Austin smiled at him. "Tell me now then. I'm all ears."

"Well… I think she's a very fortunate girl, not only for being saved from scrapping, but also for having you as her boyfriend… I don't even want to imagine how much she'll have suffered in losing all her sisters, but I can imagine how affectionate you were to her in order to help her overcome the pain... No wonder that she has fallen in love with you... She's the perfect girl for you… She's exactly as you describe her; _´soft like cotton and sweet like candy´_ … and incredibly beautiful as well… Congratulations, my brother… You two make an endearing couple."

Austin looked at his brother with affection. "Thank you, Nat… I also feel fortunate for having her as my girlfriend… You know what? From the moment I told her about you, she was the one who encouraged me not to lose hope that you would be saved… She even used to pray with me for you not to feel sad at night nor frustrated during the day… And when time was running out and no buyer appeared, she was my boiler to cry on... Despite knowing that you were waiting for death calmly, I still desired very earnestly that you could continue living... I wanted you to make the mountains shake with your whistle again... I wanted you to fall in love as well... so that you could know how beautiful the love of a couple is... and what the exclusive kiss feels like... Only the day in which you put your cheek against your girlfriend's, you'll be able to know all what Jessica is for me..."

"Oh, Austin… I'm even surer that Heaven chose Jessica for you... And considering your words, now I already want to fall in love too... I hope I could win the heart of a girl..."

"You will, Nat... I'm sure you will… I would have liked you to go to a nearby railroad so we can visit each other often… but I'm aware that things got very bad for steamers around here… It is much better that you go to Sodor; the sanctuary of the locomotives. There you'll be safe."

"You're right… I'm also aware of that… And even though we'll be far from each other, I'll feel your presence each time this lamp of yours illuminates my way."

Austin swallowed. "I can say the same… We must thank Connor's brother for having had that wonderful idea of exchanging lamps…"

"Yes…" Nathaniel smiled. "And speaking of gifts, I was thinking about leaving something to Bernard as well, but I need you to agree with my idea."

"Oh... well. Just tell me; do you think there's a part of your machine that can be useful to a diesel?"

"I don't mean a part of my machine, but a part of my soul..."

Austin raised his eyebrows. "Explain it to me, Nat."

Nathaniel explained his idea.

"Wow…" said Austin afterward, "what a meaningful gesture… Of course I agree, Nat."

"Glad to hear that, Austin. Thank you."

Austin felt a deep affection for Nathaniel. "You have nothing to thank me for, little brother… You really are a sweet baby…"

The two brothers smiled at each other fondly. And, as if each one knew what the other wanted; they let off steam and embraced mutually…

Neither of them said anything. The silent tears that rolled down their cheeks spoke better than a thousand words.

And soon after, they fell asleep into their tender brotherly hug.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N** : The beautiful J-611 from the _Norfolk and Western Railroad_ was built in 1950 at Roanoke Shops, being the only remained of fourteen sisters. Nowadays, she belongs to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, US.

Originally, Austin wasn't going to have any girlfriend. But one photo in which the J-611 appears side by side with the N&W A#1218 gave me inspiration to create one for him. The articulated locomotive A#1218 2-6-6-4, who also scaped from death and belongs to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, looks much like an EM-1 at first sight (soon you start to notice the big differences). So, on seeing the photo I thought "Wow... How about I make the 611 be Austin's girlfriend?" And that's how the character of Jessica was born. I hope you have liked her despite her fleeting participation in this story.

In the next chapter, Nathaniel is going to say goodbye to everyone and will find out that he'll have a very good company for the journey. :D

See you, guys! (I promise to release the rest of this fic before next Christmas...XD)


	4. Long Live The Steam

**A very special date for steam engine lovers...**

 _ _"On July 3 1938 this locomotive attained a world speed record for steam traction of 126 miles per hour."_ (Golden plaque on Mallard's side)_

 _"Go on old girl, I thought, we can do better than this. So I nursed her and shot through Little Brythan at 123 and in the next one and a quarter miles in the needle crept further – 123 – 124 – 125 and then for a quater of a mile, while they tell me the folks in the car held their breaths, 126 miles per hour. That was the fastest a steam locomotive had ever been driven in the world – good enough for me, though I believe if I's tried her a bit more we could have got even 130." (_ Joe Duddington, driver of Mallard on her world famous speed run, to BBC, 1944)

Congratulations on the 80th anniversary of your record, _Your Royal Highness_ Mallard Gresley!

* * *

Hello my dears! Chapter IV is here, but I owe you all an apology. I had said that in this chapter "Nathaniel is going to say goodbye to everyone and will find out that he'll have a very good company for the journey", but at the end, the "very good company" will appear just in the next one. So I'll stop making predictions in order not to lie again. XD

Guest: Wow…thank you! :)

Guest 4: You're right, Gordon and Connor are bursting to tell the news, but they'll have to wait until the right moment. By the way, I have no issue with the addition of more female characters in the show either, I just think that putting two unknown girls directly in the main cast is an offense to all the other girls who have been in the show during years and never got the opportunity to develop and shine. But don't worry, whatever happens in the new series, it won't affect my writing, because in fact I won't watch it...XD Oh, and you perfectly summed up my thoughts on steam engines. :)

Australian Guest: Glad to know that the chapter made you remember when your children were newborns. :) And I agree with you on the political correctness is ridiculous. You know what? T&F was the ONLY cartoon that I allowed my children to watch; because it was the ONLY cartoon in the whole world that taught the children about how important it's to obey the laws to succeed in life (just hear the 'Rules and Regulations' song to know what I mean). But that has changed, and Sir Topham Hatt is a mere clown nowadays. For example, Thomas should've been punished for taking James' train in JBS, but that never happened...

Well, I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _"...with hat brim pulled down over its eyes, cloak up around its chin, and dagger in hand, the villain slunk onto the scene. It was the road diesel and its foul purpose was to "do in" all of the steam locomotives. How it accomplished this is history."_

Lawrence W. Sagle, _B &O Power_, _"Diesel"_ chapter.

 **...**

 _"The pure power and deafening sound by a locomotive of the EM-1's size is perhaps something words, pictures and maybe even videos can never truly replicate without the fortune of being there in person to witness such for yourself."  
_

Adam Burns (American-Rails*com)

* * *

 **CHAPTER IV**

 **LONG LIVE THE STEAM**

* * *

 _"It's great to be a steam engine..."_ -Austin

* * *

Bernard was a very young locomotive.

To be exact, he was five years younger than Nathaniel.

Belonging to the EMD F7A class #4538, he arrived at the _railroad_ when the steam era already had its days numbered. But as any new-born diesel, he knew nothing about that. He just knew he wanted to enjoy life.

Unfortunately, his brothers and cousins showed him a wrong way to enjoy things: by teasing steam locomotives.

His relatives taught him that those _"grimy sewer pipes"_ were being replaced for being _"unfashionable, noise, useless machines."_ They even said that _"steamers should never have been built"_ and that _"perhaps engineers were drunk when designing them."_ So, Bernard had fun by teasing any machine that burned coal. And he had even more fun when, six years after his birth, steam locomotives lost their original four-digit numbers to give place to the new diesels and were moved from their workplaces. He felt particularly happy mocking the EM-1 #7629 who became grumpy after losing his number…He did not even call this EM-1 by his name, but just by his new number "679".

But despite all this, Bernard was chosen by Heaven to be a peacemaker in the "Steam vs Diesel" war.

One year after losing their original numbers, steam engines began to be retired from service, and soon the scrapping pandemic started. Obviously, Bernard was happy with that. What he had prophesied to "the 679" was fulfilled: _"You steamers already lost your numbers. Now you'll all lose your jobs, and a little after; your lives."_

But his happiness did not last so long.

One night, Lady appeared in his dream disguised as a steam engine at a scrapping yard. _"Put yourself in my place,"_ begged Lady, desperate, _"please, put yourself in my place!"_ Then, the noise from a scrapper's torch was heard and Lady burst into tears. Bernard awakened from that nightmare trembling. The phrase spoken by Lady was enough to start a real revolution in his heart. And from that day on, every time a steam engine was sent to the scrapping yard, Bernard imagined himself in the unfortunate engine's place. _"I wouldn't be able to endure that!"_ he thought, feeling a great compassion and praying that Heaven would avoid the suffering of the unfortunate one. No wonder it was so, since putting oneself in the place of those who suffer is the first and the best thing that can be done to understand and help them. Bernard even wanted to apologise to each engine he had teased, but the shame prevented him from doing it.

And, of course, the engine he most wanted to apologize to was "the 679". Bernard almost got frozen on learning that Nathaniel was accompanying his brothers during their scrapping. He secretly began to feel respect and admiration for him, but he did not have the courage to ask him for forgiveness. His pride was still powerful. But then, seven months ago, his pride was finally knocked down when he received a terrible order...

 _"Go to take Nathaniel to the dead storage yard."_

 _"The dead storage yard? B-but...what happened to him, sir?"_

 _"His brakes failed. He can't work anymore."_

It was the worst news he got in his life. But also, that news gave him the courage he needed to apologise to Nathaniel. So, with his heart broken in a thousand pieces, he asked him for forgiveness. And his voice was so full of sincerity that Nathaniel did not hesitate to forgive him. Since then, Bernard was a great defender of the steam engines. He gave a huge reprimand to his relatives for having been so rude and for sowing the seed of despise in his heart. At first his relatives thought he was just kidding them. But on seeing how kind he became to the steam engines, they realized he was speaking seriously.

And now Bernard was at Cumberland's shunting yard on this cold November morning, getting something he thought undeserved; an embrace from Nathaniel...With his eyes closed, he focused on feeling the steam that enfolded him tenderly...He still could not believe that the EM-1 was giving him such a present. Bernard was happy, but had a lump in his throat, because this first embrace he was getting from his friend was also the last one: Nathaniel was about to leave.

After having swallowed hard several times, Bernard opened his eyes and his gaze met the EM-1's. "Thank you, Nat..." he whispered, "thanks for this hug…and for spending your last night on the railroad here…"

Nathaniel smiled at him, his eyes full of tenderness. "I am who must thank you, Bernard..." he said. "Thank you for giving me joy all these months...You made me company when I needed it the most…and you protected me with your warmth on cold nights...Thank you, my friend."

"Oh, Nat…it was the least I could do for you…I wish I had been your friend since the day we met…That time in which we didn't get along well was a time lost...But I'm happy that the Lord has given me the chance to make peace with you..."

"I can say the same...I'm happy that we made peace...Besides, the Lord gave us seven months to enjoy our friendship...and how I enjoyed it. The hours passed fast while you were with me...You made me feel important despite my situation."

Bernard smiled, trying to hold tears.

"By the way," added Nathaniel as he stopped embracing his friend, "I have a gift for you."

"Wow...another gift?"

"Yes; something I know you'll like. Wait a minute." Nathaniel looked towards the next-door track. "Austin?" he called.

The EM-1 #7600 approached and stopped near his brother. Bernard thought he was bringing a fuel barrel or something like that, but Austin was not bringing anything. So Bernard was confused. But Nathaniel soon explained what the gift was...

"I give you my brother."

The diesel gasped. "W-what?"

"I wanted to leave you a piece of my soul for you to know you'll always be in my heart. So, I give you my brother."

Bernard raised his eyebrows. He did not know what to say. He just looked at Austin, while struggling even more to hold tears.

Austin smiled. "So, Bernard," he said, "will you accept me as your adoptive brother?"

Now the tears won. Bernard closed his eyes and cried.

The diesel had thought the embrace from Nathaniel was an "undeserved gift", but now he no longer knew what to think. This gesture from the EM-1 had no name. Bernard tried to collect himself as soon as possible, because he did not want this farewell to be a sea of tears. But the tears won again as he felt that Nathaniel softly coupled up to him...This was very sweet.

After a while, Bernard could stop crying and he stared at Nathaniel. "Did you want to make me faint from emotion, you mastodon?" he asked in a playful tone.

Nathaniel giggled. "Not so much…I just wanted to make you happy."

"Well, you did it." Bernard smiled at his friend affectionately. Then he looked at Austin. "Of course I accept you as my brother, Austin…It'll be an honor to have you in the family."

"Thank you, Bernard," Austin responded with sympathy, "thanks for welcoming me into your family, and for having looked after Nat these months."

"You don't need to thank me...You two have a place in my heart...You know what? I still feel bad for having been rude to you as well…"

"Oh…I already forgot that. Put the past to rest and let's enjoy our friendship."

"O-okay…let's enjoy our friendship…" Bernard looked at Nathaniel again. "What can I say, Nat? This gesture from you is priceless…You have no idea how much this means to me…"

"I'm happy that you liked my gift…Now we'll be connected through our brother Austin."

"Yes, that's right…Oh, my friend, I hope that many locomotives can be saved from death like you and Austin…This scrapping pandemic is as terrifying as it's unfair...You steamers opened the railroad era; you guys are the real owners of the tracks…we diesels are literally your children…Railroads around the world would be very sad if they don't have at least a few steamers embellishing their landscapes…and we diesels would feel like orphans…seriously…I'm really happy for you, Nat…and happy to have a steam engine as my adoptive brother."

Now it was the turn of Nathaniel to struggle against the tears. But he lost the battle. His jaw trembled, so he closed his eyes and clung to Bernard's coupler even stronger…

Those words from the diesel were highly touching. Bernard had never spoken about steam engines in such a tender way like this. Nathaniel felt that he did the right thing on leaving Austin to him as a "gift". Now he could understand what it meant to Bernard to have a steam engine as an adoptive brother.

And Austin had his cheeks covered in tears as well. He had witnessed the constant fights of Nathaniel with the diesels, especially with Bernard. So this scene was too moving for him.

When Nathaniel stopped crying, he slowly opened his eyes. "You have a humongous heart, Bernard…" he whispered, "…you make me feel proud of being a steam engine…"

"Glad to hear that…" responded Bernard with a smile. "Always be happy, Nat…Have a good trip and a beautiful life on Sodor…and keep us up to date with your news, please?"

"Of course I will…Thanks for your good wishes…And remember, every time Austin gives you a hug; I'll be there hugging you as well."

The two friends smiled at each other with affection and gratitude. They wanted that time stops at this moment in order to be together a little more. But Nathaniel had to go already, because he should be in Connellsville at midday. Fortunately, Bernard had to take a train to Pittsburgh, so he would accompany the EM-1s to Connellsville.

A few minutes later, Nathaniel loosened the pressure of his coupler and slowly separated from Bernard. It was time to go. Then, he and Austin turned around on the turntable and began to leave the yard, while Bernard came behind them with his train.

The two EM-1s puffed slowly through the tracks of the yard. They moved majestically, side by side, as if it were a parade. The diesels smiled friendly at them and wished Nathaniel good luck. Suddenly, a shout of joy from Bernard rumbled in the yard...

"LONG LIVE THE STEAM!"

All the diesels responded; "LONG LIVE THE STEAM!" and the sound from their horns made the tracks tremble.

Nathaniel and Austin were taken by surprise. They looked at each other and smiled widely while their hearts pounded. They would have never expected this very meaningful tribute. Then, in gratitude, they blew their whistles with all their strength.

And the sound could be heard above all the diesels' horns...

Nothing on the _B &O Railroad_ sounded neither louder nor more intimidating than the EM-1s' whistles.

Nothing could make the mountains shake as much as they did.

While they continued their majestic parade towards the exit of the yard, escorted by Bernard and _applauded_ by everybody, Austin trembled with emotion. "It's great to be a steam engine," he said. "Totally agree," responded Nathaniel, proudly.

Austin was right. It's great to be a steam engine. Neither he nor Nathaniel were aware that; in the not too distant future, the surviving steam locomotives would be almost like objects of veneration for their admirers, so much that many people would pay a lot of money just for the pleasure of sitting on the driver's place and feeling as the owners of the world...

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Island of Sodor, three express engines were chatting at Vicarstown Station. One of them in particular was very, very excited.

"WOO-HOOOOOO! It's a girl! It's a girl! I'm so happy, Gordon, I'm SOOOO happy!"

"It seems so, sweetie. Um…what do you think, Connor?"

"Well...I think she looks a bit excited indeed."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! You two are so funny!"

Gordon had just given Caitlin and Connor the news about Nathaniel. He told them that he met his _little sibling_ the day before, and Caitlin felt proud that the baby was a girl.

"I would have liked to see that scene..." continued Caitlin. "No wonder that Nathaniel was overflowing with joy on seeing the baby girl…He was so eager for that day to come."

"And I'm happy that the day finally came," said Gordon. "Oh, and _Nathania_ is a lovely name, isn't it?"

"You're right, honey, it's just lovely! I didn't know that _Nathaniel_ had a female variant...Now it's just a matter of a buyer to appear for my baby to have a long life and can be able to see his little sister grow up."

Gordon and Connor smiled tenderly at Caitlin. They could barely contain the desire to tell her that her _baby_ had already been bought.

Caitlin thought that Mr. O'Mara took his family up to Cumberland for Nathaniel to see the baby girl. She had no idea that Nathaniel met his _little sister_ in Connellsville after having spent five days by puffing down the line between Columbus and Cincinnati…

* * *

Back in the USA, the EM-1s and Bernard arrived at Connellsville.

Mr. O'Mara was at the station and, as he had promised, his family was there as well. Bernard congratulated the new parents and met Nathania. He was delighted with the baby girl and got surprised by how she recognised her big brother's voice. He did not know that new-born babies can recognize voices. That made him even happier for Nathaniel.

Bernard stayed at the station for a while. Then, it was time for him to continue his journey to Pittsburgh. "Well…" he said, "g-goodbye, my dear Nat."

"Please, don't say goodbye," responded Nathaniel, "we'll see each other again…If it isn't in this life; it'll be in the other..."

Bernard smiled sadly. "O-okay...See you."

"See you...my dear friend."

Austin noticed that things were getting sad and he did not want Nathaniel and Bernard to get to cry again. So, he quickly tried to distract his adoptive brother. "Bernard," he said, "when I get back from New York, I'll spend the night in Cumberland and will pull a train with you before return to Columbus. What do you say?"

"Wow..." Bernard felt encouraged, "that's great, big brother! I'll be waiting for you."

"Okay! See you, little brother."

Now Bernard smiled happily. He looked at Nathaniel for the last time. "Good luck, Nat," he said. "Say hello to our friends for me."

"I will, Bernard. Good luck for you too."

The two friends smiled at each other for some seconds, and then, Bernard went on his way.

Nathaniel sighed deeply and continued to stare at the diesel until he lost sight of him. _"I'll miss you, my friend..."_ he thought fondly.

Soon after, the EM-1s stocked up on coal and water for their following journey and returned to the platform of the station.

Mr. O'Mara gave a long embrace to his wife and daughter. He felt a little bad because he would be far from his family for a few days, but he wanted to accompany Nathaniel to New York and his wife was in agreement with that. Mrs. O'Mara was glad that he had the opportunity to make one last trip in the cab of their beloved engine.

After kissing his wife and daughter, Mr. O'Mara climbed into Nathaniel's cab. He carried with him a bag that contained some souvenirs for Nathaniel: a copy of the video and the photos of his meeting with his _little sister_.

Mrs. O'Mara walked towards the edge of the platform and smiled at Nathaniel. She was holding her baby girl with one arm, and with the free hand she caressed the EM-1's pilot. "May you have a happy new life, Nat…We'll always remember you in our prayers."

Nathaniel swallowed hard. "Thank you, ma'am...I'll also remember you all in my prayers..." Then, he addressed a few last words to his _little sister_ , who was looking at him with her sweet blue eyes. "I love you, _Nattie_ …my little princess…May God bless you all the days of your life...I love you."

Mrs. O'Mara was touched. "We love you too," she responded and blew a kiss to the engine. Then, she moved away from the edge of the platform.

Nathaniel was ready to go. He slowly let off steam, smiled at Mrs. O'Mara for the last time and began to move his wheels.

Mrs. O'Mara stayed looking at him until he and Austin left the station. Afterward, she bowed the head and closed her eyes. _"Thank you, Lord, for everything ended well for Nathaniel,"_ she thought. Then, her father, who was also at the station, approached her and put a hand in her shoulder; and she walked together with him towards his car. Her parents were on visit at her home, and they would stay there until Mr. O'Mara returns from New York.

The EM-1s puffed down the line by blowing their whistles at the people who waved at them. Nathaniel did not want to take any shortcuts. He wanted to go to Baltimore and make a little stop there for a very important reason.

This journey to Baltimore was very different from the previous one for Nathaniel. The previous time he was going sadly to say goodbye to Caitlin, and would get home back desperate. However, this time he was beginning the happy journey that would take him to reunite with her and stay to live near her...Still so, on approaching the city, Nathaniel felt a chill as he remembered the event that plunged him into sadness and remorse.

Once at destination, the brothers went straight to the place Nathaniel wanted to visit; the _B &O Railroad Museum_. And they were received by a tender smiling face…

"Oh dear! Hello you two!"

"Hello, Washington!"

"Wow…I never thought I would have such a wonderful surprise! I'm happy to see you again, Nat. When they told me that you were bought by the Earl of Sodor, I almost exploded with joy and didn't stop giving thanks to Heaven."

"Oh, Washington…I almost exploded with joy as well. Austin and Mr. O'Mara waked me up in the middle of the night to give me the news. I don't know if one day I'll be able to thank the Lord as He deserves. He already gave me so many gifts, and yesterday He allowed me to meet my little sister!"

"My goodness! It's a girl!"

"Yes! And they called her _Nathania_ , the female variant of my name. She's so tender and beautiful, and she recognized my voice when I talked to her! She looked at me innocently and her blue little eyes made my heart melt with love."

"What a blessing, Nat…That little princess is a real gift from God."

"You're quite right. And besides being a blessing to her parents, she also saved my life, because if they gave me seven months to wait for a buyer, it was precisely because that was the time lacking for her to get born. Otherwise, I would no longer be alive now...But she was born at the right time for me to be saved."

"O-oh...I didn't notice that...You're right, she was born at the right time."

"Yes, and not only for me to be saved, but also for me to able to take the ship that will departure tomorrow from New York, and so I'll be able to be on Sodor for Christmas! Everything formed part of a perfect higher plan."

"Nat…" Washington's heart pounded, "I-I'm so happy to hear all those things! And I feel honored that you came to visit me before your journey."

"I wouldn't have been able to go without visiting you, Washington...You were always a good friend to me, and you gave me a priceless help when I was going through a very difficult time...I thank you very much for having alerted Mr. O'Mara to my call that day in the yard."

"Don't need to thank, Nat, it was a blessing to be able to help you."

"Oh, my friend…I wish you had had the same fortune as me... It hurts me to know that you can no longer puff out there and be a really useful engine...I wanted you to fly like Mallard with your passenger train again..."

Washington smiled at Nathaniel affectionately. "I'm okay here, Nat," he said, "seriously...We all know that steam age ended…And even though we the fortunate surviving are few, there's no longer any place on the railroads for all of us to continue working...Perhaps one day I'll be restored and put on service again, but for now, that's an impossible dream...But being well cared for in a museum is a thousand times better than being forgotten in a scrapping yard...Besides, people are happy every time they come to visit us...If you can make someone happy with your mere presence; how not to feel happy too? Many people spend hours telling me beautiful stories about the times they traveled on my train, and I feel proud to have been part of their lives...So, don't worry about me. I'm happy to be here and be able to put a smile on people's face."

Nathaniel was impressed by his friend's words. "Okay," he said smiling, "if you say you're happy; then I won't worry about you. And I'll tell Caitlin not to worry either."

"Glad to hear that. Wow…I still can't believe that you're going to live near my little sister...I'm sure she's eagerly waiting for you."

"Actually, she still doesn't know I was saved or that I'll go to Sodor. Gordon and Connor wanted my arrival to be a Christmas surprise for her, so they didn't tell her anything about me."

Washington's jaw dropped. "O-oh…that's wonderful! She'll have the surprise of her life! Please, let us know when you arrive at Sodor and how your reencounter with her was."

"Of course, I will. I'll let you know all the details as soon as I'm there."

"Thank you! Oh, Nat, Caitlin will feel immensely happy to see her sweet baby again…"

Nathaniel's smile faded and he looked down. The memory of his last encounter with Caitlin was hitting him since he got to the museum. He always wanted to know if Washington learned of what he did to his sister, but he never had the courage to ask. But now, on seeing him so happy about his future reencounter with Caitlin, he thought he could no longer remain silent. So, he came close to his friend and, feeling a bit ashamed, he looked up to him again. "Washington...I...I wanted to ask you something..."

Washington noticed the nervousness in Nathaniel's voice, so he looked at him with sympathy. "Go ahead."

"Well…um…" Nathaniel hesitated for a moment while certain questions appeared in his mind. What about if Washington responded 'No' and demanded explanations? What about if he got angry on learning of it? And what about if the revelation turned this farewell into another event to forget? But Nathaniel had no longer way out now. So, he swallowed and continued. "I-I wanted to ask you if you have known...that I was not always so sweet to Caitlin..."

Washington understood what the EM-1 meant. Then he tried to sound kind in order not to make him feel bad. "Do you refer to that stolen kiss?" he whispered.

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "So...you already knew."

"Yes, the diesels told me about that."

"M-my goodness..." Nathaniel felt even more ashamed.

"Easy, Nat, everything is right."

"H-how could you be so kind to me after that? Did not you get angry with me?"

Washington had his eyes full of compassion. "Easy, my friend," he said, "let me tell you how it was…I did get angry on hearing what you did...I thought you were just a betrayer, and I spent three years holding grudge against you...And although I was impressed by how you accompanied your brothers during their scrapping, my heart was still so hardened that it didn't let me see that, in reality, you were not a villain…Then, seven months ago, I saw Bernard leaving you at the scrapping yard and I thought it served you right...But at night, I was awakened by your screams...You screamed _'Caitlin, forgive me'_ again and again...That made me notice that you was repentant, and I began to feel pity for you."

"D-did I scream that?" asked Nathaniel. He remembered he dreamed of Caitlin and waked up crying the first night he was at the dead storage yard, but he did not remember he screamed in his sleep.

"Yes, you did it," responded the P-7. "I wanted to wake you up, but thirst prevented me from speaking loudly...Fortunately, your own screams ended up waking you up...But you stayed crying a lot, and I felt even more pity...So I begged Lady to help you sleep again...and looks that she heard me, because soon you were sleeping soundly."

Nathaniel smiled with trembling lips. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Your tears made the rancor fly out of my funnel," continued Washington. "I realised that if you felt remorse for what you did, it's because you're a good hearted engine, so I forgave you…Unfortunately, I couldn't talk to you from the place I was…But a few days after, I had the opportunity to show you that I was still your friend…Mr. O'Mara went to visit you, and when he was about to go home back, you called him but he didn't hear you…So I alerted him to your call…You have no idea how happy I felt on helping you…and the following day I was taken to this museum…No doubt that the Lord was just waiting for me to get rid of rancor to make me free from the scrapping yard."

Now Nathaniel was about to cry. After all, he and Washington have had a similar fortune: both received a great gift from Heaven after getting rid of rancour…"T-thanks for forgiving me," said Nathaniel, moved, "…and for asking Lady to help me sleep…You know what? We shared a similar fortune in some way…Since my sad last encounter with Caitlin, I felt terrible for having been so idiotic...I-I was living a difficult time and I thought a kiss would help me endure anything...b-but it ended up being the worst sin I ever committed in my life...So I begged the Lord to let me know if Caitlin forgave me, because that was all I needed to wait for my destiny calmly…And my wish was granted, but only after I stopped hating the diesels and made peace with Bernard."

"Oh my…We both received a gift after forgetting resentment…And how did the Lord grant your wish? Was it through those videos you and Caitlin sent to each other?"

"Yes, it was so. I explained to Caitlin everything that happened that day and I asked her for forgiveness, and she responded that she had already forgiven me the day after our farewell…I felt a great weight had been lifted off my boiler!"

Washington opened his eyes widely. "That's just impressive! No wonder that my little sister forgave you so fast…She has the sweetest heart in the world and never knew what it's to hold a grudge…That idea of making videos was just wonderful, Nat."

"It was a divine inspiration indeed, and you helped me with that."

"Huh?"

"That day in the yard, when I called my engineer and he didn't hear me, it was to tell him about my idea of making the video."

"Wooow…So that's what you wanted to tell him…Now I feel even happier to have helped you…Oh, I would like to see the video that Caitlin sent in response…if you don't mind."

"Of course I won't mind. I'll tell Mr. O'Mara to show it to you."

"Thank you, Nat! That means a lot for me…I'll see my little sister and hear her voice…What else could I ask for?"

Nathaniel could not believe how happy his friend was despite being immobile inside a museum. He felt fondness for Washington, and quickly thought about what else he could do for him. "As soon as I can," he said, "I'll make a special video together with Caitlin and her Guardian Angels to send here."

Washington gasped. "Are you crazy, Nat? I'll collapse by happiness on seeing that!"

"Ha! Ha! It'll be a pleasure to make you collapse by happiness, my friend. By the way, Austin and I had exchanged our lamps to have a piece of each other, and I would like to do the same with you…What do you think if we exchange our logos?"

"O-oh…" the P-7 was touched, "…a piece of each other…That's so meaningful, Nat…We'll be near the heart of each other through our logos…Let's exchange them right now."

Nathaniel felt happy. "Yes!"

So, Mr. O'Mara and a museum's employee came to exchange their logos.

Washington took the opportunity to speak to Mr. O'Mara. "Congratulations on becoming a father, sir," he said, "May the Lord protect and bless your family."

"Thank you, boy. As soon as it's possible I'll bring my baby for you to know her, and I'll also show you the video that Caitlin sent."

"Oh...thank you, sir!"

"You're welcome, boy! Glad to see you happy."

After having their logos exchanged, the two engines smiled at each other. "This is a very sweet gesture from you, Nat," said Washington, "thank you…I just hope they allow you to use the logo on Sodor."

Nathaniel gulped. Only now he remembered an important detail: in the photos and the video that Caitlin sent, it could be seen that neither she nor Connor had the logos from the _railroads_ they belonged to in the USA. "Oh no..." said Nathaniel, "well...in case I couldn't use this logo there, I'll give it to Caitlin's engineer. Perhaps he could put it on the wall of her shed or some other place for us to always see it."

"Wow...that's a good solution. Oh, Nat, you have so many tender ideas...I wonder if anyone else was benefited with one of your meaningful gestures."

"Well, I gave Austin to Bernard to be his adoptive brother."

"Really?! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Washington laughed and looked at Austin, who was on the next-door track. "Austin, I'm sure that your new little brother got very happy with such a gift. He's crazy for steam locomotives lately."

"Ha! Ha! You're right!" responded Austin. "In fact, he cried on receiving his gift, and he said that it'll be an honor to have me in the family."

"Oh, that Bernard…he became so kind to us…I'll tell you something. A few weeks ago, he came here and made a real scandal. He was angry because he learned that the diesels used to tease us engines who are in the museum. So he scolded them all and threatened to push them into the Chesapeake Bay if they dared to make fun of us again. He even ordered them to shout _'Long live the steam'_ every time they pass by here."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! That's our Bernard!"

The three friends laughed.

And after a moment of laughs, Nathaniel took a sigh. "This is hard to admit," he said, "but I must go now. Austin and I have a long journey ahead of us."

"I understand," said the P-7, "I know what a journey to New York is like...You better go now."

Nathaniel smiled sadly. "I'll never forget you, my friend…"

Washington swallowed. "Come here, Nat…" he said tenderly, "come closer to me…"

Nathaniel moved forward. He pressed his forehead against his friend's and both closed their eyes.

Austin observed the touching scene. He knew that Nathaniel and Washington always were good friends, but they did never show affection to each other in such a way. Undoubtedly, Nathaniel was having many unforgettable, emotional moments during these last days. And once more, Austin felt blessed to share these moments with him.

"Thanks for having come to visit me…" whispered Washington, "…you have no idea what this means for me…I could see you're the same sweet baby who won my little sister's maternal heart…I'm sure your brothers were praying for your life all this time, and now they're even happier in the Railroad of the Clouds on seeing the result of their prayers…You're the bravest engine I've met, Nat…I don't think there's another engine who has the courage to do what you did for your brothers...I wish that you have a beautiful journey and a happy life on Sodor...You deserve it..."

Nathaniel sobbed for some seconds. "Thank you, Washington," he said afterward in a low whisper, "you're very kind…I-I would like to take you with me…although I know you're okay here…"

"Easy, Nat...Remember what you've said...'everything formed part of a perfect higher plan'...I've lived the whole process of dieselization of the railroad...It began when my siblings and I were one year old, and it ended when your fire went out in April of this year, and I can say, with all certainty, that each rescue of a steam locomotive from the scrap was a real miracle...We can't ask for more."

"I-I agree with you…each rescue was a miracle…I just think that…y-you have more right than me to be near Caitlin…"

"Oh…" Washington giggled, "everything is right…I can't deny I would like to see her again, but…you know what? I've lived with her much longer than you, and our farewell was beautiful…I've nothing to regret, while you suffered a lot due to a terrible farewell...I don't know how you managed to live so much time with your heart tormented by remorse...I think you do deserve the blessing of living near Caitlin...not only for regretting your mistake, but for having been so brave with your brothers...Oh Nat, I already imagine the tears of happiness that will cover my sister's cheeks on seeing her Christmas surprise..."

Nathaniel smiled, but he continued to sob for a while. Then, he moved from Washington's forehead and looked at him in the eyes. "I admire you, my friend," he said. "Maybe I was brave on accompanying my brothers until their last breath, but I don't think I could have been able to be happy in a museum for the rest of my life...I'll pray that you never lose your spiritual strength and could always be happy...And I promise I'll look after my mommy as a Guardian Angel."

"Thank you, Nat…That is all I want...I'll pray for you too...Please, give your mommy a kiss on the cheek for me and tell her that I love her. Oh, and say hello to Gordon and Connor for me."

"I will." Nathaniel swallowed. "Well…I don't like to say goodbye at all, since I'm just going to a new home. So, I'll simply say...see you."

"Wow…well said. See you, my dear Nat…and Merry Christmas in advance."

"Oh…Merry Christmas to you too, my dear Washington."

The two friends smiled at each other tenderly. Then, Nathaniel slowly moved backwards.

"See you soon, Washington," said Austin before following his brother, "I'll return with beautiful news for you."

"Thank you, Austin! I'll be waiting for that news. See you soon."

Washington watched while the EM-1s were leaving. Then, he closed his eyes and focused on feeling Nathaniel's warm logo on his pilot. _"Thank you, Lord…"_ he thought, _"this visit was a gift from You…I feel so good..."_

And Washington sighed of emotion.

His lips curved into a sweet smile.

His tender heart was full of joy.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** It was a hard battle of feelings to portray the end of the steam era without leaving the diesels as _the villains with a foul purpose._ I've been thinking about those "shoeboxes with seal faces _"_ so many times while writing that I came to dream of them in the last few nights...I really mean it! XD

Although I always imagined Bernard as being an F7, I didn't even bother to give him a name when he appeared in the first chapter of *A Place in Their Hearts*, because originally he wouldn't have any other participation in the story. But at the end, I needed him again on repeated occasions and he ended up being an important supporting character. So he got a name and I decided to show a little of his life in this chapter for you all to know him better and understand why his attitude towards Nathaniel changed drastically.

I also wanted to give Washington one more participation as, in spite of having been a silent and almost irrelevant character all the time; he has the honour to be Caitlin's brother.

I hope you guys had liked these two OCs. They say goodbye to you all in this chapter, because they will no longer appear in the next ones. But they will continue to be mentioned many times. :)

See you, my dears!


	5. Mission Accomplished

Hello, my friends. I'm sorry again for making you all wait so long. I don't have so much time to write lately. I have been receiving PMs from some users asking me for advice and opinions to write their fics, but unfortunately I can't help them precisely because of the lack of time. I have not even been able to respond those PMs. I'm really sorry. I don't want to promise something that I'll not be able to fulfil.

Guest 4: Thanks for the kind words. The events that you're waiting for are getting closer and closer. Oh, and I don't forget that sweet phrase I want to use.

Australian Guest: Nathaniel's blue butterfly is going to make her entry into this story very soon. BTW, I have also had conversations with my children about the behaviors of the characters in the series, I even used some episodes to illustrate biblical passages.

I also thank the other Guests who left their comments. They're all appreciated.

I think this was the most complicated chapter to write in the entire fic, because I found it very hard to portray the characters' feelings at the moment of their separation...I hope you guys like the result.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _"Before you sleep together, first stand up, both of you, and pray. _Ask the Lord of Heaven to grant you His grace and protection._ "_ -Archangel Raphael (Tobit 6:18)

...

 _"The young person who plays Mozart by day, does not break shop windows at night."_ -Luís Szarán

* * *

 **CHAPTER V**

 **MISSION ACCOMPLISHED**

* * *

 _"My brother...my idol...do you have any last advice for me?"_ -Nathaniel

* * *

And the journey continued.

The next destination was the Port of New York.

It might be thought that Austin was sad. But actually, the feeling that predominated in him at this time was the relief. He smiled with relief on remembering that, just a few days ago, he was trembling at the thought that Nathaniel would be scrapped after meeting Mr. O'Mara's baby. He was at Cincinnati when, after the midday-break, his _engineer_ came along with a great announcement…

 _"Put a smile on your face and get ready to go to Cumberland, boy, Nathaniel was saved!"_

 _"What?!"_

 _"He was just bought by the Earl of the Island of Sodor, and Mr. O'Mara wants you to be present to give him the good news!"_

 _"OH MY GOSH!"_

Austin does not remember well what happened in the following minutes. His memories are lost in the sea of happiness he felt at that moment. His _engineer_ said he was like in a trance, thanking Heaven tearfully and repeating Nathaniel's name again and again. But he just remembers that, after a while, he was speeding up towards Cumberland as he never did before.

So, while feeling Nathaniel's steam mixing with his own, he was relieved in this journey. He was also grateful for all the wonderful moments they had lived together over the past few days, and he wondered if there would still be other surprises or revelations before his brother boards his ship.

And in fact, there would still be some surprises for them in New York.

As for Nathaniel, he smiled happily while remembering all the emotional events he lived during the week. The night he received the news of his salvation he felt like if he was born again. He had already accepted the idea of being scrapped after meeting his _little sibling_ , and since seeing the video that Caitlin sent him, he said he had already gotten all what he wanted. But actually, he wanted to continue living...and his wish was granted just in time. And besides meeting his _little sibling_ , he got incredible surprises: spending some wonderful days with Austin; meeting the _extremely beautiful_ Jessica; being able to embrace Bernard and visit Washington...Each of them was a very emotional event for him.

Nathaniel was grateful to have had the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends, and was still surprised for the revelations he heard during his conversation with Washington. He also felt blessed to be able to make this last journey with Austin and his beloved _engineer_ Mr. O'Mara. And although he knew that saying goodbye to his _engineer_ and brother might be a difficult moment, he was aware that this was a necessary step towards his new home. The thought of going to live near Caitlin kept the sadness away from his heart. He even imagined hearing Caitlin's whistle, since this was the route she used to pull _The Royal Blue_ …

Inside Nathaniel's cab, Mr. O'Mara also smiled happily. He caressed the controls of his engine while trying to maintain a certain distance from Austin, who was going at the front in case Nathaniel needed help. It could be strange that Mr. O'Mara was not sad since Nathaniel was like a son to him. But actually, all what he had lived during the last months had prepared his heart for this moment. Barely two days after Nathaniel was retired from service, he learned that his wife was pregnant. That marked the beginning of a new, beautiful stage in his live and his thoughts were totally focused on his child. And when he finally had Nathania in his arms, his happiness was indescribable. But he noticed something that had escaped his attention: someday, Nathania would be an adult and leave the paternal home to live her own life...

Children do not stay forever with their parents. With the passage of time they grow and become ready to be independent, and like the birds, they unfold their wings and abandon the nest. But parents do not get sad because of that, but quite the opposite; they proudly watch their children leave and feel satisfied to be able to say "mission accomplished". The only thing they want at that moment is for their children to be happy in the new stage of their lives.

With those thoughts in his mind, while caressing the controls of his engine, Mr. O'Mara kept the smile on his face. He imagined that Nathaniel, his _eldest son_ , had reached the age of unfolding the wings and abandoning the nest. He was not losing Nathaniel. He was just accompanying him in this step towards his new home.

After the long, nice journey, they arrived in New York. It was already dark, and the EM-1s went to some sheds near the port to spend the night.

At the entrance of the sheds there was a smiling old man who seemed to have been waiting for them. "Hello Austin and Nathaniel!" the man greeted.

"Hello, sir!" responded the engines, a bit surprised that the man knew their names.

"Wow...Nat, I found out that you'll set off for Europe tomorrow and I wanted to say goodbye. That's why I'm here, and glad to see that Austin came as well. I can't believe I'm seeing you two again!"

"Um...sir..." said Nathaniel, "do we know each other?"

"Yes, we do, but maybe you don't remember me. My name is Elijah Wise. I was part of the team that built you EM-1s at Baldwin. I was right in front of you when you opened your eyes for the first time."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "Oh dear! So it was you, sir!"

"Yes, boy!"

"What a nice surprise, sir!" exclaimed Austin. "I take this opportunity to thank you for having built us."

"Oh...it was a pleasure, Austin. A great pleasure indeed."

The two brothers were excited, especially Nathaniel. This man was the first human being he saw after having born. This man was who introduced Caitlin to him…

And Nathaniel got even more excited on thinking that maybe he could answer a certain question which rolled around his mind for three years. "Sir, I think you can give me an answer about an existential doubt I have."

"Ha! Ha! I hope I can help you, Nat. What do you want to know?"

"Well, I want to know…why did you call me _Nathaniel_?"

Mr. Wise smiled fondly. "So that's your existential doubt, huh?"

"Yes, sir. My engineer told me it means 'Gift from God _'_ and since then I was curious."

Mr. Wise came closer and put a hand on Nathaniel's pilot. "It was precisely because of its meaning…When my co-workers and I were about to give you a name, we wanted one that paid tribute to life, because you EM-1s were very fortunate to have been built at the time that the steam era was in its last days…The B&O ordered twenty engines of your class, and they were so successful and well-loved that the following year the railroad ordered ten more…But we already assumed that there would be no more orders in the future, and sadly, we were right…The boom of the giant articulated engines around the country soon ended...You were not only the last of the EM-1s, but also the last steam locomotive bought by the B&O…And now that I see that you escaped death, I can say your name was prophetic."

"Wow…" Nathaniel was touched, "so…a tribute to life…I love that, sir! A-and I can also say it was really a prophetic name, because I got many heavenly gifts. Thanks for the explanation."

Mr. Wise caressed Nathaniel's pilot. "You're welcome, Nat. I'm glad to know you got many heavenly gifts." Then he looked at Austin. "As for you, boy; don't you want to know the reason behind your name?"

"Yes, sir! I had never thought about that, but now I'm curious too."

"Okay. As we finished building the first EM-1; we were simply delighted with our job. The locomotive we had just built may not have been the largest or the most powerful among the articulated ones, but it carried the latest in steam technology like the Big Boy of Union Pacific, and it was certainly the most beautiful of the Yellowstone design…It was an awesome machine that could do anything on the railroad it was intended for...So we decided to name the engine with a word that perfectly describes the EM-1s...And we choose _Austin_ , which means 'Magnificent'."

"O-oh…" Austin giggled, "I would have never imagined that, sir."

Nathaniel smiled and rolled his eyes. "Austin…I aaaalways said you're magnificent…"

Everyone laughed.

"You EM-1s are really impressive at any angle," continued Mr. Wise, "and you can be proud of having done your job well."

"Thank you for so much praise, sir," responded Nathaniel, "it made us feel proud indeed. I'm glad you have come here. I promise I'll mention you in my prayers."

"Aw…thank you, Nat. By the way, I've known that your friend Caitlin has a boyfriend on Sodor and takes tourists to the island along with an NYC Hudson."

"Yes, sir! I've been communicate with them through a few videos. I'm eager to arrive at Sodor and be able to see them face to face! I thank Heaven for allowing me to live near Caitlin again."

"That's good news, Nat. I can see you'll be very happy in your new home," Mr. Wise looked at Austin, "and I can also see you won't need to concern for your little brother's welfare."

"You're right, sir," responded Austin. "I'm calm by knowing that he'll get a warm welcome on Sodor and will be okay there with his friends, especially with his mommy Caitlin."

"Mommy?"

"That's how I called her, sir," said Nathaniel, "and she called me 'my baby.' "

"Oh…what a cuteness…Looks like a strong bond has formed between you two."

"You have no idea how strong it was, sir. We loved each other as mother and son...Oh, and I won't need to concern for my big brother's welfare either, because it was also formed a strong bond between him and a certain engine who makes him happy."

"Seriously, Austin?"

"Yes, sir, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Jessica. She's the only survivor of the N&W's J class."

"Wow...so, the Spirit of Roanoke! You have a gorgeous girlfriend, boy."

"You're telling it to me, sir!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! That matter of love bonds between locomotives is really funny, but I totally agree with that. Why not? I find it very sweet...Well, I must go now, boys. I'm delighted to have seen you two again and know that you're okay. Have a good journey, Nat, and be very happy with your mommy Caitlin."

"Thank you, sir. I'm also delighted to see you."

Mr. Wise looked tenderly at Nathaniel while caressing his pilot. Then he came close to Austin and caressed his pilot as well. "I wish that you also have a good journey back home and that you continue to be happy with Jessica."

"Thank you very much, sir. And thanks again for building us."

"You're welcome, boy. Oh, and you know what? My wife and I will go to Columbus to spend Christmas with some relatives who live there. How about we seize the opportunity and make a ride on your train?"

"Wow! You two will be my passengers of honor, sir!"

"Ha! Ha! Okay. Goodnight, boys!"

"Goodnight, sir!"

Mr. Wise turned back and left, not without shaking hands with the engines' crewmen.

Then, the EM-1s entered the sheds and relaxed their axles. "I can't believe this, Nat!" said Austin. "Who would've imagined that today we would see one of our builders and know the reason behind our names?"

"That was simply incredible! My existential doubt was answered at last."

Soon, the engines' crewmen went to the station to sleep. But Mr. O'Mara stayed there. He had another surprise for his engine. "Well, guys," he said, "I assume you're as excited as I am with Mr. Wise's visit."

"Your assumption is correct, sir!"

"Ha! Ha! Oh Nat, I'm glad that you've gotten the answer you were waiting for. And now I have another thing to tell you. It's something you'll like a lot."

"Wow…I'm eager to hear that, sir."

"Okay. This morning I spoke with my cousins Sophia and Gabriel. They told me that Gordon and Connor are dying to give Caitlin the good news about you, but they remain firm in their decision to keep the secret from her until you arrive at Sodor in order to give her the surprise of her life." Nathaniel smiled widely. "And they also told me about Sir Robert Norramby. They said he's the current owner of Stephenson's _Rocket_ _."_

"Wha…? Stephenson's _Rocket_?!"

"Yes. They named him 'Stephen' as a tribute to his father. He's part of the tourist attractions of Ulfstead Castle, and Sir Norramby's idea is that you be exhibited with him so that people can see how much the locomotives have evolved."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "Stunning Steep Climbs!"

"B-but sir…" said Austin, who was as amazed as his brother, "is Stephen a living engine?"

"Yes, he is. He was in a museum for many years until he was restored and they rebuilt his smoke box to give him a face."

"Oh dear! What do you say, Nat? You'll be the _Rocket_ 's playmate!"

"I-I don't know what to say…That will be a great honor for me! Oh I'm so happy…First the visit of Mr. Wise…and now this!"

"And there is more," said Mr. O'Mara. "They also said that you'll go to the Other Railway sometimes to work with the Virginian's AG."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "Wooow…the AG engine! A-and the Other Railway is where Caitlin and Connor live! Well, I definitely won't sleep tonight because of happiness."

"Me neither," responded Austin. "Are we going to count sheep?"

Everyone laughed. Mr. O'Mara was happy to see his engine so enthusiastic about his future life on Sodor. He had thought that maybe Nathaniel would get a little sad this night, but just the opposite has occurred.

But there was still a big surprise.

A big, powerful, heavy surprise to be exact...

The noise of some horns interrupted the laugh of the EM-1s and Mr. O'Mara. So they looked ahead and saw that two diesels were bringing an enormous engine towards the sheds. The engine in question wore a black livery and, despite the semi-darkness of the yard, it could be seen that it was an articulated one due to the way it moved through the curves of the tracks.

"What's that?" asked Nathaniel, "a cousin of ours?"

"Mmm…no," responded Austin as he saw the engine's wheels. "Look at its wheel arrangement…2-6-6-6."

"Wow," said Mr. O'Mara, "an Allegheny…"

Nathaniel gulped before those words. He remembered that the AG class was an Allegheny-type locomotive, knowing as the "Blue Ridge" on the _Virginian_.

A few minutes later, the impressive machine was placed on the turntable. Then, as it was turning, the name of its railway painted on its tender became legible. Nathaniel felt a chill. "Virginian?!" he exclaimed. "Did I read well?"

"Yes," Austin smiled widely, "and as far as we know, there was only one Virginian 2-6-6-6 remaining."

"Oh, my Gosh…I'm going to faint…I say I'm going to faint! Somebody call an ambulance!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Mr. O'Mara put a hand on Nathaniel's pilot. "Calm down, boy. Let's say hello to this mastodon before calling an ambulance."

The turntable stopped and the engine was pushed to the berth beside Austin. It could be seen that it was taller and heavier than the EM-1s, and the number "906" on its side was barely visible due to dust and deteriorated paint. Its wheels screeched while turning, and once it was inside the berth, the diesel who had pushed it began to move back. "At last!" complained the diesel, "Enough of pushing noisy, rotten irons for today."

The EM-1s stayed open-mouthed before such an insult. Mr. O'Mara frowned and shook his head. In earlier times, Nathaniel would have reacted with fury.

As soon as the diesels left the sheds, everyone looked at the newcomer.

The engine seemed to be suffering. The masculine features of his face had an expression of pain and he breathed with difficulty. _"Bless him…"_ thought Mr. O'Mara, feeling as much pity as Nathaniel and Austin. A few seconds later, the engine finally relaxed. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and looked towards his companions. His lips curved in a friendly smile. "Howdy," he said with a pleasant voice, "I'm Sam."

Austin returned the smile. "Hello Sam," he greeted, "I'm Austin."

"And I'm Nathaniel, Austin's brother."

"And I'm Brian O'Mara, Nathaniel's engineer."

"Pleased to meet you all, sir."

"Pleased to meet you too, Sam. By the way, are you comfortable? It seems you were feeling pain..."

"Yes, I was. But don't worry, sir, I'm comfortable now. I was a bit sore due to the cold and my worn parts. I was not in a position to move by myself, so I had to be pushed from my railway up to here. I was parked at a scrapyard waiting for my fate during a long time, and some days ago I was bought by a British railway. That's why I'm here. My ship departs tomorrow to England."

"You're fortunate, Sam. I wish you have a beautiful life in England."

"Thank you, sir."

Nathaniel was excited. "I knew you're the Virginian's AG who is going to the Other Railway!" he exclaimed. "I was eager to meet you, Sam. I'm going to the Island of Sodor, and I was informed I'll work with you on the Other Railway sometimes."

"Oh…" Sam got surprised and gave his future colleague a tender gaze, "I'm happy to hear that, Nathaniel. I was informed that a B&O's EM-1 will go to the Island of Sodor in the same ship as me. Now I know it's you."

Nathaniel gasped. "Y-yes…it's me! But, a-are we going to travel…together?"

"That's what they told me."

The EM-1 was unable to hold back his emotion. "WOO-HOOOOOO! Did I forget to say I won't sleep tonight because of happiness?!"

Austin and Mr. O'Mara laughed heartily.

Sam got even more surprised. "Um…how did you get to know about me?" he asked. "Am I so special like that?"

"Oh Sam, you don't imagine how special you are! But that's a long story which I'll gladly tell you during our journey."

"Wow…I'll gladly listen to that story. I'm really happy that we'll travel together, Nathaniel. I was in need of a friend…I've lost my seven brothers and lived sad situations at the scrapyard…But I feel fortunate to have been saved and being able to work with somebody my own size again…If you don't mind; can I consider you as a brother?"

Nathaniel swallowed hard. "Of course you can, Sam…I'll be honored to be your brother…You know what? For a moment I had thought that my journey would be somewhat boring, but I realised I was wrong…Now I see that Heaven just sent me a good company…and I want to be a good company for you as well…Every time you want to talk, laugh or cry, I'll be right by your side for you…Oh, and you can call me 'Nat' if you want."

Sam smiled tenderly. He already liked Nathaniel. "Thank you, Nat. You're very kind…After having heard so many insults from the diesels; it's a pleasure to hear your comforting words. I can also say that Heaven sent me a good company."

Everyone was delighted with Sam, and they spent the following minutes talking animatedly with him. The sweetness of his gaze and the cheery tone of his voice left no doubt that he was someone to trust. Austin, who had been carefully observing his interaction with Nathaniel, was happy to see that they got along well. And Sam was also delighted with his new friends. Despite of having felt fortunate the day he was saved from death, he was still sad for having lost all his brothers. But at this moment, with the joy of having found a new brother in Nathaniel, he felt doubly fortunate. At last he would be able to vent to someone and overcome his sorrows. And he was also excited to learn that Nathaniel had been born in the same year as him.

After the nice conversation, Sam was the first one to fall asleep, followed by Austin. But Nathaniel and Mr. O'Mara stayed awake for a while longer. This was the first time they could talk alone since Nathaniel was saved.

"What a day, sir," said the EM-1 to his _engineer_ , who was sitting on his pilot, "I lived so touching moments...and had wonderful surprises...I'll travel with a lot of pleasant memories...principally with the priceless image of my little sister in your arms..."

Mr. O'Mara caressed his engine's cheek. "I'm happy for all these wonderful things that happened to you, Nat...I'll treasure them all in my memory as well, especially the angelic gaze you gave your little sister when you met her…And speaking of her; you know what? The fact of becoming a father made me accept with joy the idea that you will go to live away from me, because when I held Nathania in my arms for the first time, I remembered that she won't live with her mother and me forever, but leaving our home once she was adult to live her own life...and neither her mother nor I will feel sad because of that, but happy for having raised her and proud to see her become an independent person...Thanks to that, I think I'm not losing you, I simply think that you're my eldest son who has reached the age of leaving home...and I'm proud for having had you in my life during fifteen years."

Nathaniel swallowed, looking tenderly at his _engineer_. "I'm glad to hear that, sir…" he whispered, "I didn't really want you to feel sad at this moment…I'm proud to be your eldest son…I'll always refer to you as my father…and I'm happy that Austin will be the one to have the joy of being your new engine..."

Mr. O'Mara smiled. "You're so sweet, Nat…" he said, "I would have liked to have you at my side forever...but what is most important for me is that you're alive...I couldn't ask for more...As for who will have the joy of being your new engineer, whoever he is, I'm sure he'll love you as much as I do...The day you know him, give him a place in your heart…and don't compare him to me."

"Oh…okay, sir…I'll do as you say. I'll make my new engineer feel good with me."

"That's my little boy…" Mr. O'Mara kissed his engine's cheek.

Mr. O'Mara and Nathaniel were happy to be able to spend this beautiful moment alone. They took advantage of every second to talk about many things, and even prayed to thank Heaven for these years they spent together. And after more than an hour of conversation, they were finally defeated by sleepiness. Nathaniel thought his _engineer_ would go to sleep at the bedroom of the station like the other crewmen, but Mr. O'Mara had another plan...

"I'm going to sleep right here on your pilot."

"What? On my pilot? But sir, it'll be uncomfortable for you…besides it's too cold."

"Oh, don't you worry, I came prepared. Just wait and see."

"O-okay."

Mr. O'Mara went to Nathaniel's cab and soon returned with a bag that seemed to be part of a camping gear. "This is a sleeping bag," he said as he placed it on the top level of his engine's pilot, "it'll give me comfort and protect me from the cold."

"Wow..." Nathaniel giggled, "You're a genius, sir."

"Do you like my idea?"

"I simply love it. I don't think another locomotive have had a privilege like this. You'll sleep like a baby against my chest this night…"

"Oh..." Mr. O'Mara was touched by those words and gave a tender smile to his engine. Then, he entered the sleeping bag and closed the side zipper. "Well...goodnight, Nat," he said, "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, sir, and sweet dreams to you too."

Mr. O'Mara did not take long to fall asleep. But Nathaniel stayed awake a few more minutes, because he wanted to continue enjoying seeing him sleeping like a baby against his chest _…"This is another more blessing..."_ he thought, _"I'll travel full of sweet memories..."_

Once his eyelids became heavy, Nathaniel quickly looked at Austin and Sam, and smiled on seeing how peacefully they were sleeping.

Then, he also closed his eyes and fell asleep soundly.

* * *

Early in the morning, Austin and Sam looked at the sweet scene with a smile on their faces. They could not believe that Mr. O'Mara had slept on Nathaniel's pilot. Undoubtedly, this was another demonstration of the great affection that the man had for his locomotive.

As Mr. O'Mara woke up, he got up and greeted the two engines, and then he went to the station for breakfast. Nathaniel continued sleeping.

"You and Nat are lucky to have each other," said the AG. "I think that having at least one surviving sibling is a great consolation, but it's a privilege of the few."

Austin smiled sadly. "I'm sorry about your brothers, Sam," he responded, "but I'm sure they protect you from the Railway of the Clouds."

"You're right. In fact, one night in which I was particularly sad at the scrapyard, I looked at the sky and asked them to help me...and soon I saw a cloud of golden dust that smiled at me. I felt so much joy in my soul that I fell asleep peacefully."

"Wow! So…you saw Lady!"

"Yes, I saw her. But don't ask me to describe what she looks like, because the vision lasted just one or two seconds. All what I can say is that she's very beautiful."

"Oh my…That's a privilege of the few, Sam! No wonder that you fell asleep peacefully. Nat will love to hear that story. You know what? Nat accompanied our twenty-eight brothers during their scrapping to comfort them."

Sam opened his eyes widely. "Really?"

"Yes, but I'll let he himself tell you about that."

"M-my goodness…He's very brave…"

"You have no idea."

At that moment, two diesels came towards the sheds. "Oh, no..." said Sam, knowing that a painful travel to the docks awaited him.

"Stay strong, my friend," Austin encouraged, "you'll soon be able to relax at the ship."

Sam smiled at Austin sweetly, although he could not hide his nervousness. But, much to his surprise, these diesels were quite friendly and they moved him gently.

Once Sam left the sheds, Austin saw that Nathaniel was waking up. "Good morning, little brother," he said.

Nathaniel blinked a few times. "Good morning, Austin," he responded with a smile. "Hey…where's Mr. O'Mara? And Sam?"

"Your engineer is having breakfast at the station, and Sam had just been taken to the docks. By the way, it was very sweet to see Mr. O'Mara sleeping on your pilot."

Nathaniel giggled. "It was his idea, and I feel blessed for that."

"I feel blessed too. My future engineer is a wonderful person…"

Nathaniel smiled with eyes full of tenderness at his brother, that brother who had been his mentor; who had given him so much useful advice; who had been his boiler to cry on so many occasions; who had given him the most deserved reprimands and the most comforting hugs…Nathaniel had no words to thank Heaven for such a brother, and was happy that he would stay in good hands. "Austin…" he said, "my brother…my idol…do you have any last advice for me?"

"O-oh…" Austin was speechless. Those touching words from his brother took him by surprise. What other advice could he give Nathaniel that he would not have given him before? But soon an idea came to his mind, a heavenly idea that would be very useful for Nathaniel. "Um…I'll tell you something," said Austin. "It's an advice for the case you fall in love with someone."

"Wow…That sounds interesting. What is it?"

"Well…The first time you are alone with your girlfriend, and before kissing her, pray for Heaven to bless your love and strengthen it…Jessica and I did so, and not only do we feel that our love is strong, but we also realized that a kiss is more beautiful when we ask the Lord to be part of it."

Now it was Nathaniel who was speechless. It took him a few seconds to respond. "Austin…that was the sweetest advice you gave me…Now I really want to fall in love as well…I think it's something beautiful…I hope I can win the heart of a girl."

"You already won the heart of a mother…why not the one of another girl?"

Nathaniel was excited. "Don't make me cry, please?"

"Ha! Ha!"

Soon, Mr. O'Mara returned from the station. "Good morning, boys!"

"Good morning, sir!"

"Did you sleep well, sir?"

"Like a baby!"

Everyone laughed.

"Are you ready to take your little brother, Austin?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Okay. Let's go then."

Austin turned around on the turntable and approached his brother. As he coupled up to Nathaniel, he suddenly felt the desire to cry...but he hid this desire under a warm smile in order not to make his brother feel sad.

On arriving at the docks, Austin placed Nathaniel behind Sam, who was happy to see them. "Good morning, Nat," greeted the AG.

"Good morning, Sam. Did you rest well?"

"Yes, I did. At last I spent the night in a warm shed again, and also with good friends. By the way, they have just confirmed to me that we will really travel in the same ship."

"Oh...that's good news!"

The EM-1s were very happy with that news. The few hours they spent together with Sam were enough for them to realize that he was a good-hearted engine, and the fact that he would be Nathaniel's travel companion was simply a blessing.

While the three friends chatted, Mr. O'Mara continued inside Nathaniel's cab. This was the last time he could be there, so he wanted to stay a little longer in the _engineer_ 's seat, the place in which he had so many times felt like a king operating a super-powerful machine.

Some minutes later, Mr. O'Mara came out of the cab and helped the workers prepare Nathaniel to get him onto the ship. The EM-1 was separated from his tender and his cab was sealed as a protection measure. Now it was just a matter of waiting until the crane placed Sam on deck.

When Sam was about to be lifted, he looked at Austin with fondness. "Austin," he said, "I'm happy to have met you. I enjoyed a lot these few hours we spent together. You're a caring friend and an excellent brother. I'll never forget you."

"I won't forget you either, Sam. You have a heart of gold and I'm happy that Nat has a new brother in you. I wish you enjoy your life in England and have many friends who love you. You deserve it."

"Oh...thank you, my friend…Goodbye."

Austin swallowed. "Goodbye, Sam."

Mr. O'Mara quickly approached Sam and patted his pilot affectionately. "Bye Sam," he said, "Have a good journey."

"Thank you, sir. You're a wonderful person. Goodbye." Then, Sam looked at Nathaniel. "I'll wait for you on the ship, Nat."

"Okay, brother. Don't even think about going without me."

"Ha! Ha! Don't worry!" And the crane ropes began to lift the giant AG.

Austin looked at his brother with deep love and they both smiled at each other. Then, Austin closed the distance between them and touched Nathaniel's forehead with his own. These would be their last moments together. Neither of them knew what to say, but in fact the words were unnecessary. Austin simply enfolded his brother in a hug with his steam. But soon, Austin came up with something to say.

"Oh Lord…" he whispered, which made Nathaniel understand that he was beginning a prayer, "I can't explain how I feel…This was just a dream some days ago, but now it's a beautiful reality…My brother was about to be scrapped, but now he's about to go to his new home…Besides, he'll have a good company for the journey and will live near his mommy…With what words could I give thanks for all these gifts? And with what words could I give thanks for having survived and being able to share this moment with him? This is just priceless…When I saw my little brother for the first time something inside me said that he was special, but when he accompanied our brothers during their last hours, I realized he was simply an angel...He's really a gift from you, and I'm very proud of being his brother...Thank you Lord…thank you…Now I just have one last request for you...please always make my little brother happy...Bless each day of his new life, and bless our friend Sam too…Amen."

"Amen," said Nathaniel in a low voice, deeply touched by the prayer. "I'm also proud of being your brother…" he whispered, enjoying Austin's embrace, "…you're a funny friend in the good moments…and an angel in the bad ones…You're my hero…God bless you, my brother…and may He always make you happy as well."

Austin smiled with his heart full of tenderness. "Thank you, Nat."

While the EM-1s were enjoying their sweet moment, the workers finished to place Sam on the ship and prepared to lift Nathaniel's tender. Then, when the tender was already on deck, Austin stopped hugging Nathaniel so the workers could put the crane ropes around him. But he kept coupled up to him during all this process.

Once Nathaniel was ready to be lifted, Austin moved from his forehead and looked him deep in the eyes. "The day you get out of that ship again," he said, "you'll finally see your mommy...Enjoy every second of that moment...and don't forget to always show the Lord your smile of gratitude."

"I-I will…" responded Nathaniel and swallowed hard. "I love you, Austin…I love you…"

"I love you too, little brother…I love you with all my heart." Then, Austin slowly uncoupled from his brother. "We'll see each other again…" he added, "…if it isn't in this life; it'll be in the other."

Nathaniel smiled tenderly. Those were the same words he had said to Bernard the previous day. And he was right. Although locomotives can live much longer than humans, they also end up passing away. Nothing is eternal in this life…Even if an engine is saved from being scrapped; anyway, Lady will take his/her soul again at some point to take it to the Railway of the Clouds…But Austin and Nathaniel were too young to think of death in this moment. They still had their "seven lives" ahead of them.

Austin moved back a little. So, Mr. O'Mara climbed on Nathaniel's pilot and pressed his cheek against his. Nathaniel closed his eyes and they both remained silent, enjoying this last contact for a few seconds. Then, Mr. O'Mara looked into his eyes. "I love you, son," he said.

"I love you too, sir…Thank you for everything you did for me…You made me very happy…Oh, and thanks for the privilege you gave me last night…I'll never forget how you slept on my pilot."

Mr. O'Mara giggled. "That was a privilege for me as well…You also made me very happy…It was a pleasure to be your engineer..." Mr. O'Mara kissed Nathaniel's cheek. "Have a good journey, Nat. God bless you."

"Thank you, sir…and God bless you too."

"Amen." Mr. O'Mara caressed his engine for the last time.

"I love you, dad…" whispered Nathaniel from the bottom of his heart.

"Oh…" Mr. O'Mara smiled and gave him another kiss. "I love you, son…I love you."

Hearing his engine calling him "dad" was so touching that if he continued to caress him a little longer he would have started to cry. So, Mr. O'Mara stepped off Nathaniel's pilot and immediately climbed on Austin's.

Nathaniel looked with deep love at his brother and _engineer_. "I'm so happy to see this..." he said, "…you two look so good together..."

Austin and Mr. O'Mara smiled. "I promise I'll take care of my new engineer very well," said Austin. Mr. O'Mara laughed, which made him swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Glad to hear that," responded Nathaniel. "And also take care of his wife and my little princess."

"Of course yes, don't worry. Say hello to everybody for us."

"I will."

"And take care of your brother Sam," added Mr. O'Mara.

"Oh…" Nathaniel giggled. "I don't think he'll need my protection, sir. But I promise he'll have my friendship, admiration and respect."

"That's our Nat!"

"Ha! Ha!"

The happiness that Nathaniel felt was not only attributed to his great desire to see his _mommy_ Caitlin again, but also to a huge angelical intervention. Lady was embracing his soul.

And the time to place Nathaniel on the ship had arrived.

Nathaniel smiled at his brother and _engineer._ But he did not say 'goodbye' nor 'see you soon' to them, but something very cheerful. "Well…Merry Christmas in advance!"

"Merry Christmas, Nat!"

Then, the crane ropes began to lift their precious cargo: the EM-1 #679, the last steam locomotive acquired by the _B &O Railroad_. Austin moved back up to a prudent distance in order to see his brother better and not to disturb the workers.

Nathaniel got somewhat nervous on feeling himself in the air, far from the security that the rails provide. Besides, the cold caused him discomfort, because he had no fire in his firebox to produce heat. And the situation got worse when he reached the highest level where the crane could lift him to, since the cold wind coming from the sea was stronger there. Nathaniel would have liked to be trapped in another embrace of Austin's warm steam at this moment.

But soon, Nathaniel saw something that distracted him from the cold: a great flag of the USA that waved majestically on top of a flagpole…Locomotives also have feeling of patriotism. Although they love and respect each country that gives them the opportunity to continue living, the country of their birth has a special place in their hearts. So, Nathaniel smiled proudly while his gaze got lost between the stars and stripes of his flag. _"Mission accomplished…"_ he thought, as a good servant of the nation. And he had enough reason to say that, because all the steam locomotives in the world helped to the growth and development of their countries. The EM-1s were no exception.

A little later, the crane began to lower its precious cargo again, this time towards the deck of the ship.

Nathaniel looked one last time at the engine and the man he loved the most, giving them a huge smile. Austin and Mr. O'Mara looked at him with an indescribable tenderness, and when he was about to touch the deck, Mr. O'Mara and the other men of his crew waved farewell to him.

Soon, Nathaniel disappeared behind the containers that there were on the ship.

Austin closed his eyes and remained silent, until he heard the ship's powerful whistle that marked the start of the journey. Then, he became tense...

"Austin?" called Mr. O'Mara on noticing that something was wrong. But the EM-1 did not respond. He just squeezed his eyelids and his chin trembled. Mr. O'Mara understood what was going on. "Cry, son…" he whispered while putting a hand on Austin's cheek, "let those tears get out…I'll stay here with you…Feel free to cry…"

The giant engine refused to obey for a moment. But another powerful sound from the ship's whistle opened the floodgates of his heart...and tears flooded his cheeks.

Austin shed tears for several minutes. He still had not had time to assimilate all the events of the previous days. Everything had happened too fast. Many times it can happen that, after going through a long period of sadness or uncertainty, the heart needs time to absorb so much good news. And this was what happened to the EM-1's heart.

As Austin could calm down a little, he slowly opened his eyes. "Sorry, sir..." he whispered, his breathing still agitated, "I-I'm not sad...I-I just needed to cry a bit...I really needed it...b-but I didn't want to do it in front of Nat…"

Mr. O'Mara smiled tenderly at him. "I know, son…I understand you…you were stressed...It's okay that you have cried." The kind _engineer_ took his handkerchief and began to softly dry Austin's tears. "You behaved as a real hero..." he continued, "the way you accompanied your brother these days is worthy of admiration...No wonder that you're like an idol to Nat...and I'm very proud of you."

Austin heard those words with closed eyes and a smile of satisfaction on his lips. He also could say 'mission accomplished' for all what he did for Nathaniel. And, as Mr. O'Mara said, it is okay that he has cried. Where is it stated that heroes should not cry? Heroes also have a heart. And the softer that heart is; the greater will be its heroic deeds.

Once Austin could relax completely, he opened his eyes again. "Thank you, sir...I feel well now…Looks like that stress thing is gone."

"Glad to hear that, boy. But I wonder…are you feeling well enough to hear other good news I have for you?"

"Oh…yes, sir! What is it?"

"Well, this is something they asked me not to say in front of Nat, because it's a secret that he'll know in due time." Mr. O'Mara smiled widely. "I already know his future engineer."

"What?"

"Yesterday, when I spoke with my cousins on the phone, I spoke with him as well. He's a young man named Joseph McAllen and caused a very good impression on me. He's training to operate locomotives under the guidance of Gabriel's father, one of the most experienced engineers on Sodor. He said he saw Nat in a photo in my cousins' house and since then he felt affection for him. He was talking about Nat so excited that I have no doubt he really loves him."

Austin was open-mouthed. "M-my goodness...My little brother is already loved by his future engineer…What a blessing, sir!"

"It's a blessing indeed. And there's something else that left me pleasantly surprised. Joseph is a pianist. He was Gabriel's schoolmate and both were part of their school's orchestra. That makes me even more sure that he's a good boy, because young people who play classical music usually don't have time to do bad things in life."

"Woooow…a pianist…I also think he's a good boy, sir. Oh, and I already imagine him playing the piano while Nat sings 'O Holy Night' on Christmas!"

"We're thinking the same. And imagine how Nat will feel if Caitlin sings with him…"

Austin opened his eyes widely. "That would be spectacular! I'm so happy, sir…Nat will have a beautiful life on Sodor."

"Yes, boy. Our Nat will be well received and well loved in his new home. We don't have to worry about anything."

"You're right, sir. We just have to thank Heaven for so many blessings. Oh sir, I'm eager to tell all this to the others, especially to Washington and Bernard! Can we go already?"

"If you're ready to go, we can go now."

"Yes, sir, I'm ready! Besides, three women are waiting for us."

"Three women?"

"Your wife; Nathania and Jessica."

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Mr. O'Mara kissed Austin's cheek. "We can't keep our women waiting. Let's go right now, _Magnificent_."

"Ha! Ha! Let's go, sir!" Austin was very happy. And as his future _engineer_ stepped off his pilot, he remembered something that left him even more delighted. "Um...sir?"

"Yes?"

"If I remember rightly, 'Joseph' was the name of the Lord's adoptive father, wasn't it?"

"Exactly."

"WOW!"

"Excitement will leave you stressed again..."

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

While Mr. O'Mara was going to his cab, Austin looked toward the bay. The ship carrying Nathaniel was already far from the dock and about to get lost among the other ships in the busy port. _"I'm happy for you, little brother…"_ thought the EM-1, _"…you'll have an exciting life…Enjoy it!"_ Then, he pumped his pistons and left the dock.

During the journey, Austin did not see any steam locomotive. But anyway, he greeted all the diesels he found along the way. Some of them looked at him in surprise; others smiled at him and returned the greeting; others just ignored him.

On arriving at Baltimore, Austin went straight to the museum to give the good news to Washington. Then he went to Cumberland, where he was received by his new _little brother_. Austin never thought he would get to feel so much affection for Bernard. He stayed to spend the night there, as he had promised, and the following morning he took a train together with Bernard before returning to Columbus.

And at last, he was home again.

When Austin arrived at the yard where his 'cotton candy' was waiting for him, he felt he was going to die of happiness. Seeing his beloved's smile made him forget all the sadness and uncertainty of recent months and all the stress of the past few days. He approached Jessica and touched her forehead with his own, and before he could hug her, she was already enfolding him tenderly in her steam...This made Austin sigh of joy. And then, he and Jessica slowly melded into a sweet, deep kiss…

Austin enjoyed this kiss like no other, because this time there was no longer any thorn hurting his heart. During the last months, he had spent the nights wondering if Nathaniel was feeling cold; if Bernard was there with him; if some buyer would appear, and he could not sleep so well. He felt like the world crashed down on him as he learned that two businessmen had been interested in buying Nathaniel but did not find any railway that authorized the use of its tracks...He was optimistic every time he visited Nathaniel in order not to make him lose hope of being saved, but inside he suffered. And Jessica was always his boiler to cry on. She comforted him just like he comforted her as she lost all her sisters. She was his strength.

But sadness was already a thing of the past. And now, Austin and Jessica could fully enjoy their love…and their kisses.

Jessica was simply awesome. She was physically powerful, strong and fast. But in her dealings with others, she was _soft like cotton and sweet like candy_. A perfect combination of brute strength and delicacy that literally drove Austin crazy...

While he continued delighting in the kiss of his beloved, Austin lost track of time.

He had no idea how long his lips were caressing Jessica's.

He did not know how many times he and she whispered 'I love you' to each other.

The only thing Austin knew; is that he was fully happy now.

* * *

And the next day, on the Island of Sodor, a streamlined engine was fully happy as well. He had just received a piece of news that, although he had already been waiting for it; it made him tremble with emotion from the skirt to the tender's buffers.

"So, Nathaniel is already on the way..."

"Yes, Connor, Sir Topham Hatt told me this morning and I was anxious to let you know."

"Gordon…we'll need Lady's help to dissimulate our super-happiness in front of Caitlin during all this month!"

"Ha! Ha! You're right! We must be cautious not to raise any suspicion on her part; otherwise we'll ruin the surprise. Oh, and there's something else…they said that the AG engine is coming in the same ship as Nathaniel."

"O-oh…" Connor giggled. "Well, I bet they are already like two old friends at this time."

"Knowing how friendly Nathaniel is; I think so."

Gordon and Connor were very excited. So much that they would probably need Lady's help to dissimulate their 'super-happiness' in front of Caitlin. They wanted the month passed fast like a lightning to finally be able to see Caitlin reuniting with her _baby_. They could not wait to see her reaction.

And of course, they could not wait to see Nathaniel's reaction too.

And to meet the AG engine as well.

In short, they had too many reasons to be trembling with emotion and imagining the best Christmas of their lives…

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Nathaniel is on the way to Sodor at long last, and the moment of his encounter with Caitlin is getting closer and closer.

Yes, Sam was the mysterious AG acquired by the Other Railway. As I said on other occasions, the "Allegheny/Blue Ridge" is my second favourite articulated engine, so I don't need to explain the reason why I like Sam's character so much. I'm surprised that they chose a Virginian's 2-6-6-6 locomotive to put it on the TV show instead of choosing a more iconic engine like the Union Pacific's 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy". In fact, most of those who left comments for the videos about Sam on YouTube thought he was an UP Big Boy. But I'm happy with the choice. And although the Virginian's AG is not as famous as the UP's engines (she is not even as famous as her cousin H-8 of Chesapeake and Ohio); I think Sam is a worthy representative of the American giant steamers.

It was the turn for Austin and Jessica to say goodbye to the readers. But just like Bernard and Washington, they'll continue to be mentioned in the next chapters. I hope you guys have liked these characters. I recognize that Jessica had no opportunity to develop and I apologise for that. I've needed her in order not to left Austin broken-hearted after separating him from Nathaniel.

As for Mr. O'Mara and his family, they'll appear again in the Epilogue.

See you, my dears!


	6. Sodor in Sight

Hello, my friends. This chapter is not as long as the previous one, because I didn't want to make you all wait during another eternity again. As I've said once, this story is long (it has barely reached its half-way, to be honest), and I'm in the middle of a fierce race against the clock to be able to release the Christmas Eve chapter on December 24th. I dream of achieving that goal!

Guest: Thank you for the comment!

Guest 4: Thank you for all your sweet words, my friend. You always make me feel that my effort to write something interesting was worth it. :)

Australian Guest: Illustrating Biblical passages with some tales helps children better understand the messages, and TTTE's episodes fitted me like a glove on several occasions. For example, to explain to my children the Matthew 23:12 quote, I used the *Gordon and Ferdinand* and *O The Indignity* episodes...(now you know why Gordon is one of my favourite characters! :D) The funny thing is that those episodes are from Miller era, and that's why I like that era even though the entire fanbase despises it. :)

* * *

...

* * *

 **CHAPTER VI**

 **SODOR IN SIGHT  
**

* * *

 _"Ho! Ho! Make way for my new engine!"_ –Sir Robert Norramby

* * *

 _"The carol is so beautiful, Caitlin…but that part is very hard to sing. I'll never be able to do it."_

 _"It's always hard at first, but with practice it's possible. Try again."_

 _"No. I'm ashamed."_

 _"Aww...don't be ashamed, you almost got it."_

 _"You're right._ _I almost made my valve explode."_

 _"Ha! Ha! Ha! That's because you took more air than you needed. You should've taken less."_

 _"You make it look easy."_

 _"Come on, Nathaniel, I want to hear you sing…You have such a nice voice…Please?"_

 _"O-okay…I'll try again."_

 _"Yes! You'll soon sing like a professional."_

 _"Well…um...mommy…?"_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"Hee! Hee! I said…I'll try again…"_

 _"...mmm…do it, my baby..."_

 _"But…"_

 _"…but what…?"_

 _"…there's a little problem here…"_

 _"…mmm…what problem…?"_

 _"I can't sing while someone is kissing my nose."_

 _"Hee! Hee! Hee! I couldn't avoid it!"_

* * *

Sam laughed at what he had just heard. Nathaniel told him about the time that Caitlin taught him to sing 'O Holy Night' and Sam found it an amusing but sweet story. "So? Did all those kisses on your nose make you sing well in the end?"

"Ha! Ha! I think so! I could finally sing that looong part of the chorus. Caitlin did it so easily…But I think this is something that has to do with weight. I mean, the heavier a locomotive is; the harder it will be for him/her to sing well. What do you say?" Nathaniel squeezed his lips not to laugh.

"Nat..."

"Yes?"

"You're not speaking about me, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Ha! Ha! I bet that now I can sing like a professional the song we were practicing before."

"Oh…okay! Here we go. One, two, three!"

Sam and Nathaniel began to sing at the top of their lungs:

 _I came from Alabama_

 _Wid my banjo on my knee!_

 _I'm gwyne to Louisiana_

 _My true love for to see!_

 _It rain'd all night the day I left_

 _The weather it was dry!_

 _The sun so hot I froze to death_

 _Susanna, don't you cry!_

 _Oh! Susanna!_

 _Oh don't you cry for me!_

 _I've come from Alabama_

 _Wid my banjo on my kneeeee!_

"HEY!" shouted a worker who liked joking, "You two will become millionaires by selling the tomatoes that people will throw at you every time you sing like that!"

The engines had a laughing fit.

San and Nathaniel were having so much fun that they did not even notice that this was already the second week of their journey across the Atlantic. They had been sharing the stories of their lives and they became very good friends. Nathaniel was impressed that Sam had the privilege to see Lady herself in a moment of great sadness, and Sam was impressed that Nathaniel had the courage to accompany his brothers in their last hours. Sam was also very touched by the story about how Nathaniel came to hear about him.

Both engines had lived quite different situations in the last months. While Nathaniel was at a shunting yard receiving constant visits from Bernard; Sam was at a scrapyard without anyone to talk to, with only lifeless irons around him. Another big difference was that Nathaniel was eagerly waiting for a buyer, while Sam was simply waiting for his encounter with the scrapper's torch. Nobody had told Sam that some British engineers were evaluating the possibility of taking him to England, because they did not want to give false hopes to him. So, the moment they informed him that he was bought by the Other Railway and would be put back into service, poor Sam thought they were just kidding him...

But Sam was able to overcome his sorrows thanks to Nathaniel's friendship, and now he was very happy.

The two _brothers_ continued spending the days talking, singing and laughing. And although the weather was getting colder and colder, they kept warm and protected from the winds thanks to the large amount of containers that there were near them.

One night, near the end of the journey, the engines were speaking about the things they most admired.

"I really admire little locomotives," said Sam. "They seem fragile, but in reality they're strong and very agile. They don't need to be giants like us to do the job they were designed for, and besides they can move forward and backward without having to turn around on a turntable. Oh, and they don't need enormous sheds to park."

"You're right," responded Nathaniel, "being small has big advantages. I also admire them. Not only they're useful, but also cute…As for humans, the ones I admire the most are the firefighters. They face the fire that is dangerous, that fire that causes destruction in its path. Usually, people flee that fire, but the firefighters stay there and risk their lives to help those in danger and put out the fire. I have a great respect for them. They're what I call the true superheroes."

"I agree with you. 'True superheroes' is the correct way to describe them."

That night, Sam and Nathaniel talked until sleepiness forced them to close their eyes. And the next day, as the first rays of the sun illuminated the sky; the North West coast of England appeared in the horizon. Three weeks after leaving New York, and having made some stops during the last days; the ship was finally approaching the Port of Liverpool.

The two engines looked at each other and smiled tearfully. And once the ship reached the dock, they could hardly believe what they were living. "I'm so happy, Sam," said Nathaniel, "we'll soon be on our new homes…It was a pleasure to travel with you…I'll never forget this experience. The Heaven blessed me with your company."

Sam smiled tenderly. "My friend…my brother…the Heaven also blessed me with your company…This journey with you was the most beautiful way to start my new life, and I'm happy to know that we'll see each other often. Let's thank the Lord for these gifts."

So, while the workers began to remove the containers from the ship, the engines made a prayer. And later, it was Sam's turn to be lifted by the crane. At the request of his new controller, he would be taken to Crewe for his repair.

"See you soon, my brother," said Nathaniel.

"See you soon, Nat. Enjoy the encounter with your mommy."

"Oh…thank you!"

Nathaniel watched as his _brother_ was being removing from the ship, and fervently wished that he could be utterly repaired before Christmas.

Now, Nathaniel was literally trembling with emotion.

The Island of Sodor was just a few hours away…

* * *

But meanwhile, on Sodor, specifically at the Steamworks, there was someone who was not feeling happy at all.

"So, won't I be able to be repaired today, Victor?"

"I'm sorry to say no, Belle, but we have already ordered the things we need. The spare parts will arrive from the Mainland in the coming days."

"Oh…I hope it doesn't take so long…Anyway, my problem isn't so serious, is it?"

"Luckily, it isn't. Don't be sad, my friend. Once the spare parts arrive, we'll take care of you immediately and, if possible, you'll be able to leave in the same day."

"Wow…thank you, Victor."

Victor smiled sympathetically at his "patient."

Belle, the blue fire engine, had just had an accident. She derailed in a curve because the tracks were slippery, and one of her cylinders broke. Fortunately, she had no other major damages, but there were no spare parts for her at the Steamworks right now. So, the idea that she would have to wait a few days to be repaired made her feel sad.

It was not surprising that Belle was depressed. No engine wanted to stay at the Steamworks in December. This was the happiest month of the year, the time when the engines enjoyed taking trains full of gifts and Christmas ornaments. Being out of service at that time was simply frustrating. But, to tell the truth, there was also something that the engines did not like about December, and it was the fact that a snowstorm could delay some deliveries, especially those that came from the Mainland. So Belle had another more reason to wish that the spare parts could arrive as quickly as possible.

Poor Belle still did not know that, in the end, she would wish to stay at the Steamworks...for LONGER.

And while the beautiful fire engine lamented her situation, Sir Topham Hatt came out of his office at Knapford Station and approached his Nº 4 engine. "Gordon, I have wonderful news for you," he said.

"Oh…" Gordon smiled from buffer to buffer, "is it about Nathaniel, sir?"

"Yes. I just received a call from the Other Railway. The ship that carried Nathaniel arrived at the Port of Liverpool on the Mainland this morning, and if there's no delay there, it will arrive at Brendam Docks shortly after noon."

"Wow…" Gordon's heart pounded, "I can't believe it, sir, this day finally came! I'm so happy!"

Sir Topham Hatt looked affectionately at his engine. "I'm also happy that this day finally came, Gordon, I know how eagerly you were waiting for it. As soon as they notify me that the ship reached Brendam I'll let the Other Railway's controller know, and he'll talk to Connor."

"Thank you, sir!"

Gordon was half dizzy due to the excitement. He already began to imagine the moment in which his beloved would see her baby. _"Oh Caitlin..."_ he thought, _"...today is the day, my love...today is the great day..."_

Gordon had agreed with Connor that, as soon as Connor was notified about the arrival of Nathaniel to Brendam, he would take Caitlin to Wellsworth Station with the excuse that Gordon "wanted to show her something."

At the same time, on the Mainland, Connor was also half dizzy due to the excitement. His controller had just told him that the AG engine had already disembarked in Liverpool and that Nathaniel would be on Sodor within the next few hours….

* * *

Nathaniel continued his journey by the Irish Sea.

Now that there were no longer so many containers around him, the cold became more intense. But Nathaniel did not care. He was just enjoying the seascape. And he could not believe what he had right in front of him…

Sodor, the sanctuary of steam locomotives, was in sight.

Emerging majestically from the waters, and illuminated by the sun's rays that made their way among the clouds, the island dominated the horizon making Nathaniel's heart vibrate. And as the ship dropped anchor in front of Brendam Docks, the EM-1's eyes were filled with tears. _"I'm home…"_ thought Nathaniel, _"I'm home…Thank you, Lord…"_ Then, the workers prepared him to be removed from the ship, and once he was ready, Cranky began to lift him.

 _"My goodness…"_ thought Cranky, _"this is the heaviest thing I've ever lifted!_ _Why do they want an engine like this on Sodor?"_ Soon, Cranky felt that the engine was shaking. _"Oh…is he scared?"_

Nathaniel was really shaking, but not because of fear, but because of the excitement. Cranky had no idea about that, so when he had Nathaniel almost to his eyes' height, he decided to say something to comfort him. "Keep calm, _big boy_ , I won't let you fall down. I'm Cranky, by the way."

The EM-1 smiled, still shaking a little. "H-hello, Cranky…I-I'm Nathaniel…but I'm not a _Big Boy_ , I'm a Yellowstone...although we were known as 'Appalachians' on our railroad and our crews referred to us as 'Big Appas'."

Cranky looked at his precious cargo for a few seconds, trying to process what he had said. "Oookay…Anyway, keep calm."

On the tracks in front of Cranky there were two flatbeds. He placed Nathaniel in one of them and his tender in the other.

"Thank you, Cranky!" exclaimed Nathaniel.

"Oh…you're welcome, my friend!"

Some workers approached to secure Nathaniel's wheels against the flatbed. Sir Topham Hatt did not want him to go to the Steamworks under his own steam, because he knew he needed general maintenance and besides he did not want to risk Nathaniel suffering another brake failure, in which case no one would have been able to stop him. And there was also the fact that the EM-1 did not have buffers, so it was no possible to push him over the tracks. The workers explained it to Nathaniel and he agreed, although he wondered if there was an engine over there that was strong enough to pull his flatbed...

At that moment, a diesel shunter came along. "Ahoy there, matey!" said the engine. "I'm Salty."

Nathaniel smiled with surprise. He never expected he would be welcomed by…a diesel. "Hello, Salty!" he responded, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Nathaniel."

"Pleased to meet you too, Nathaniel. Where are you from?"

"I'm from America."

"Oh…that's very, very far. Have you had any problems during the long journey?"

"No. On the contrary, it was a nice journey! A lot more than I expected."

"Arrr…no wonder it was a nice journey. After all, you're too big to be swallowed by the engine-eating octopus."

"What?"

"Ohhh..." Cranky rolled his eyes. "Ignore that, Nathaniel. It's just another of the silly tales that come out of Salty's imagination."

"Oh…Ha! Ha!"

The whistles of two engines were heard in the docks, and Salty moved to another track to let them approach the newcomer. "Hello, Nathaniel!" said one of the engines, "I'm Stephen."

Nathaniel remembered that name. "H-hello, Stephen! Are you...the Stephenson's Rocket?"

"Exactly! I am the Rocket, the speedy Rocket."

"Oh dear…I was eager to meet you, Stephen! They told me I'll live with you at Ulfstead Castle."

"That's right, my friend! And I was eager to meet my giant new fellow. You and I'll have fun together!"

"Oh Stephen…I feel so honored! Will I meet our owner soon?"

"Of course, he's right here."

"O-oh…" Nathaniel saw a man coming out of Stephen's coach and his breathing got agitated. He was about to look into the eyes of who saved his life...

"Ho! Ho! Make way for my new engine!" exclaimed the man. "Welcome to Sodor, Nat! I'm Sir Robert Norramby, your owner."

Nathaniel swallowed. "H-hello, sir…Thank you for saving me…I-I have no words to say how fortunate I feel for what you did for me…Thank you, sir…thank you."

Sir Norramby smiled tenderly. "You're welcome, Nat. I feel happy for having been able to save you, and glad to see that you're already here. You'll be taken to the Steamworks for your maintenance now. They'll do everything possible for you to get out of there before Christmas."

"Thank you, sir! I want to be really useful for you."

"That's a good engine! By the way, I learned that two engines were planning to surprise your friend Caitlin with your arrival. You'll see them on the way to the Steamworks."

"Oh sir…I'll faint on seeing them!"

"Ho! Ho! Ho! I love a good surprise! Luckily, Caitlin did not demand so many explanations as she saw the big shed that were being built for you at Ulfstead Castle. I said to her that it was for parking a whole train…and she believed it!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Nathaniel was delighted with his saviour. He noticed that Sir Norramby was a cheerful, funny man, and he felt comfortable talking with him.

"Well," said Sir Norramby after a few minutes of conversation, "I must return to Ulfstead now. See you soon, Nat!"

"See you, sir!"

As Sir Norramby and Stephen left, the other engine approached the EM-1. "Hello, Nat!" greeted the engine, "I'm Rosie, and I'm from America as well."

"Hello, Rosie! Wow…glad to see another compatriot. Did you already hear about me?"

"Yes, my driver told me about you."

"Um…your what?"

"Hee! Hee! That's how they call the _engineers_ over here."

"Oh my…Ha! Ha! I must remember that."

A man and a woman came out of Rosie's cab. Both were young, and Nathaniel thought he had already seen those faces..."Hello, dear Nat!" said the man with a warm smile. "Welcome home, honey!" added the woman. "Do you recognize us?"

"My goodness…" Nathaniel smiled, "Gabriel and Sophia? I mean…Mr. and Mrs. Sand…"

The couple laughed. "Just call us by our names," said Gabriel, "you're our _relative_."

"Oh…well." Nathaniel giggled. "Thanks for the welcome. I feel happy to be able to see you two personally…I want to thank you for having communicated with Mr. O'Mara to keep up to date with the news about me...You helped me get in contact with my friends...What you did is just priceless. I'm really grateful."

"It was a pleasure to help, Nat", said Sophia, "and we're very happy that you were saved."

"And we'll continue helping you," said Gabriel. "If you want, I can film your encounter with Caitlin to send the video to Mr. O'Mara. In fact, I already filmed you while Cranky took you out of the ship."

Nathaniel opened his eyes widely. "O-of course I want, Gabriel! I was thinking precisely of making a video to send him."

"Count on me then. I'll film your encounter with Caitlin; your departure from the Steamworks when you're done; the Christmas party...In brief, we'll make a beautiful video."

"Wow! That sounds amazing! I can't wait to see Caitlin and her Guardian Angels…"

"You'll soon see them, honey," said Sophia, "the place where they'll wait for you is not far from here. It's called Wellsworth Station."

"We're going to wait for you there, Nat," added Gabriel. "Two locomotives are coming to take you."

"Okay. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, boy!"

Nathaniel watched the spouses tenderly as they went to Rosie's cab. He could not stop thinking that Mr. O'Mara's blood ran through Sophia's veins...

"So, Gabriel is your driver, Rosie..."

"Yes. He's a wonderful boy and I feel very good with him. Did you know that he and Sophia play the harp?"

"Yes, I knew it. I would like to hear them play carols."

"And you will, at the Christmas party that Gabriel mentioned. Oh…" Some whistles interrupted Rosie. "Well, here come the engines that will take you. The blue one is driven by Gabriel's father, by the way. See you at Wellsworth, Nat!"

"See you, Rosie!"

Rosie began to move slowly, looking at the tracks in front of her. She would never forget what had happened there once. Some years ago, in this very place of the docks, she had had a serious accident because of a snowstorm, and her coal bunker and the back of her cab were destroyed. But what horrified Rosie the most were not the damages she suffered, but the fact that Gabriel escaped for a mere few seconds from staying trapped between the twisted irons…

After Rosie left, the two engines that would take Nathaniel to the Steamworks approached him. Both had a friendly smile on their faces, making the EM-1 return the smile.

"Hello, Nathaniel! I'm Henry."

"And I'm Edward."

"Hello, my new friends!"

"Welcome to Sodor, kind giant. Have a happy life here."

"Oh…thank you, Edward."

"Are you ready to go, Nat?"

"Yes, Henry, I'm super-ready!"

"Ha! Ha! Okay."

Henry went to place himself in front of the flatbeds and coupled up to the one that contained Nathaniel's tender, while Edward coupled up to the one behind, which made him stay face to face with Nathaniel.

The EM-1 smiled at the blue engine. "Rosie told me that Gabriel's father is your driver," he said.

"That's right," responded Edward, "my driver Charlie Sand is Gabriel's father. I love Gabriel as if he were my human son, because I know him from the day he was born."

"Wow…that's very sweet."

At that moment, Henry blew his whistle to let Edward know it was time to go. So, Edward fully pressed his buffers against the flatbed and the heavy train slowly began to move.

Edward noticed that Nathaniel was shaking. "You're trembling, Nat…Are you cold?"

"N-no, Edward…I-I'm just excited…I can't believe I'm about to see my friend Caitlin again."

"Oh…I understand." The blue engine looked affectionately at his precious cargo. Gabriel had already told him about Nathaniel and Caitlin's "mommy-baby" relationship.

* * *

Far from Brendam Docks, near Chestnut Orchard, two streamlined engines were flying towards Kellsthorpe Road.

"OUT OF OUR WAAAAY! WE CAN'T STOOOP!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Why are you so happy, Connor?!"

"What a question, Caitlin! Christmas is around the corner!"

"Aww...you're right! I'm already thinking about all the kisses I'll give to Gordon!"

"And will there be a kiss for me, just in case?!"

"Hee! Hee! Of course yes! Prepare your cheeks!"

"WOO-HOOOOOO!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Caitlin was not so convinced about the reason for Connor's happiness. That "Christmas is around the corner" sounded a bit strange, because it was only December 6th…Anyway, she knew that Connor, just like all the engines, was eagerly waiting for Christmas time.

But what really intrigued Caitlin was the reason for this crazy race. Connor told her that Gordon wanted them to go immediately to Wellsworth Station to show them a very interesting thing…The beautiful P-7 had no idea what that "very interesting thing" could be, but the fact that Gordon would be at the station was already more than an interesting thing for her. Besides, considering that it was not yet time to take her passengers back to the Mainland, she imagined she could spend a nice moment with Gordon before going to Ulfstead Castle.

For his part, Gordon was already reaching Wellsworth Station. As soon as Sir Topham Hatt had told him that Nathaniel _made landfall_ in Brendam, he pumped his pistons and disappeared from Knapford Yards in a cloud of steam as if by magic…

* * *

...

* * *

A/N: Well, the next chapter will be "The Chapter," so prepare your handkerchiefs. :)

I hope you have liked the little interaction between Sam and Nathaniel. The song they _screamed_ is _"Oh! Susanna"_ by Stephen Foster. Sam will appear in another chapter again and will meet Connor and Caitlin.

The accident suffered by Rosie mentioned here is the same as mentioned in the third chapter of *A Kiss at Midnight*. And speaking of Rosie, now you already know that I've created Gabriel to be her driver.

By the way, Belle is at the Steamworks and Nathaniel admires the firefighters...You can imagine what comes next. :)

See you soon, my dears!


	7. Merry Christmas Caitlin

Hello, my dears! "The Chapter" is finally here. I felt free to take my time to write it, because Nathaniel and Caitlin's reunion is the heart of this story. :)

By the way, I forgot to explain something in the previous chapter and I would like to do it now. It's about what Nathaniel said to Cranky: _"I'm a Yellowstone...although we were known as 'Appalachians' on our railroad and our crews referred to us as 'Big Appas'."_ I found this information in _O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum_. Although I can't ascertain its authenticity, I think the information is correct. First, because the user that posted it said he had spoken with B&O's railroaders, and second, because it was not strange that the same type of locomotive had different names among the railways. That was precisely the case of the 2-6-6-6 type, which was known as Allegheny on the C&O and Blue Ridge on the Virginian. And taking into account that the EM-1s ran on the Appalachian Mountains, calling them "Appalachians" makes sense. Anyway, I find it a pretty interesting detail and I wanted to include it in this story.

Guest 4: Thanks for the comments, my friend. I hope you like the encounter of Nathaniel with his mommy. BTW, the two _angelic engines_ will see each other again in another chapter. I love Sam's character and he fits like a glove to this fic. :)

Guest: Thank you! Enjoy Caitlin's reaction.

Australian Guest: Oh, my friend...thank you very much for supporting Nathaniel and Belle's romance in advance! :D

Well, I hope that the events in this chapter will satisfy your expectations. See you, my dears!

* * *

 **…**

* * *

 _"When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There, truly, is an Israelite in whom there is no deception'. "_ (John 1:47)

 **…**

 _"While the size of the EM-1 is enough in itself to instill awe, seeing it in person illustrates the point that much more." -_ Adam Burns

* * *

 **CHAPTER VII**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS CAITLIN**

* * *

 _"Nathaniel…my beloved baby...please tell me I'm not dreaming…"_ -Caitlin

* * *

The train carrying the surprise for Caitlin was slowly moving through Brendam Branch Line towards Wellsworth.

Nathaniel was so excited that he made his flatbed tremble from time to time. So, Edward tried to keep him distracted by talking with him about anything other than Caitlin or her _Guardian Angels_.

Edward told all about his many heroic deeds, which Nathaniel heard with amazement. But he always avoided the parts where Gordon was rude to him…Gabriel had wisely asked him to leave in the soft hands of Caitlin the task of introducing Gordon's _unpleasant side_ to the EM-1…

Afterward, Nathaniel also told his own stories. As might be expected, many of those stories revolved around Caitlin, which made Edward better understand why the giant engine loved her so much. And on hearing about how Nathaniel accompanied his brothers during their scrapping, the blue engine noticed that he was very brave in addition to having a heart of gold.

Then, as Nathaniel finished telling his stories, Edward thought quickly of something else to continue conversing, because he feared that his friend would end up falling off the flatbed due to the excitement. Luckily, he soon came up with a good idea.

"Did you know that your name is associated with one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus?"

"Yes, I knew. But I'll be honest with you, Eddie...Considering my sins; I'm anything but a saint."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, Nat! Saint is not the one who doesn't have sins, but the one who recognises his/her sins, asks for forgiveness and tries not to commit them again."

"Oh…"

Nathaniel did not know what was most impressive about Edward; his wisdom, the angelic tenderness in his gaze or the fact that having pulled a train in the rain without his side-rods…But what he was pretty sure is that the blue engine's friendship was his first gift from God on Sodor.

A little later, Henry made an announcement. "We're arriving at Suddery Station!"

"Okay, Henry!" responded Edward and began to slow down, and soon the train stopped. "Nat," he said, "we'll stay here until the stationmaster let us know that our friends are already at Wellsworth."

"Okay." Nathaniel smiled and took a deep breath. The moment to see his _mommy_ was near.

Suddenly, the horn of a diesel was heard. "Hello there!" exclaimed the diesel as he stopped his train.

"Hello, Paxton!" responded Edward and Henry. "Meet our new friend Nathaniel," added Edward.

"Oh my Gosh...Hello, Nathaniel!"

"Hello, Paxton!"

"Wow…if you help me to pull my stone train, I bet that we can take a hundred and fifty trucks or more! Ha! Ha!"

Nathaniel gasped. "O-of course yes! Heavy trains are my specialty. You can count on my help."

"Oh...that's a good friend. I hope they let us work together." Paxton began to pull his train again. "Well, I must get to Brendam Docks without delay. Have a happy life here, Nat!"

"Thank you, Paxton!" Nathaniel's eyes sparkled as he watched Paxton's train passing by beside him. "Wooow...I would like to pull a train like this..."

"Perhaps Sir Norramby will let you help Paxton," said Edward; "since the line to the quarry he works in connects with Ulfstead Branch Line."

"Wow…I hope so, Eddie! By the way, are there many diesels over here?"

"Yes, there are several of them working on the island."

"And…are they all kind?"

"Yes, they are. Well, I must say most of them. To be honest, there are three diesels of the same class as Paxton that are not so friendly...But don't worry, Nat, the diesels are not here to replace we steam engines, but to work together with us. And although we have had some unpleasant quarrels with them in the past, nowadays we get along well with each other."

"Glad to hear that. I realised that Salty and Paxton are kind, indeed. Oh, and Salty is very funny as well. He said that I'm too big to be swallowed by a certain engine-eating octopus."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! That Salty!"

* * *

While Edward and Nathaniel tried to understand how an octopus could be able to digest iron, Connor and Caitlin arrived at Wellsworth Station.

Gordon smiled widely. "Hello, my friends!" he exclaimed.

"Hello, Gordon!" responded the American engines as they stopped. They were almost out of breath after the crazy race and their cheeks were red. "Connor said that you wanted to show me a very interesting thing," said Caitlin.

"Yes, sweetie, but actually, Connor also wants to show it to you."

"Mmm…" Caitlin turned her gaze to her _brother_ and narrowed her eyes, "so…you two were up to something, uh?"

"Ha! Ha! Yes, my sister, we were up to something, and you're about to see the great result."

"We've prepared a Christmas surprise for you," added Gordon, "for you to know how much we love you."

"O-oh…" Caitlin was touched, "you two are so sweet…But…isn't it too early for a Christmas surprise?"

"Yes, but we wanted you to be the first engine to get a Christmas gift this year."

"Hee! Hee! Hee! Oh, my beloved ones…Well, I'm very curious. Where can I see my surprise?"

"Let's enter the yard. We are going to wait there."

"Okay."

The three engines entered the yard. Gordon and Connor placed themselves side by side, looked towards East, while Caitlin placed herself in front of Gordon, staying face to face with him and without being able to see the place by which Nathaniel would arrive.

Gordon and Connor could barely contain their enthusiasm.

And Caitlin could barely contain her curiosity. She had already suspected that Connor's happiness had a hidden reason...

* * *

Back in Suddery, the stationmaster announced to Henry and Edward that the express engines were already at Wellsworth. So, they continued the journey.

"Caitlin is just a few miles from here, Nat," said Edward with a smile, "you'll see her at last."

"Wow..." Nathaniel felt so happy that he did not hesitate to confess his _dark secret_ to the blue engine. "I-I'm going to tell you something, Eddie," he said with a trembling voice, "a-about that video I sent to Caitlin...It was not only to say hello to her...but to ask her for forgiveness...because...I-I was mean to her once...a-and I wouldn't have been able to die calmly without making peace with her...Obviously, she forgave me...a-and for me, the fact that I'm here now…" Nathaniel felt a lump in his throat and added in a whisper; "…is the proof that the Lord also forgave me." He closed his eyes and cried silently.

Edward looked sweetly at the EM-1. "What did I say about being a saint, Nat?" he asked. Nathaniel giggled between his tears. "You have a heart of an angel, my friend…" continued Edward, "no wonder that Caitlin called you baby…I can see that she'll have the surprise of her life on seeing you…and I'm honoured to be in a privileged place to witness that tender scene."

Nathaniel smiled, trying to hold his tears. He thought that there was no other engine better than Edward to be in that privileged place.

Seven miles later, Henry gave the awaited announcement: "We've arrived at Wellsworth Station! I can see our friends at the other end of the yard."

"Are they looking towards here, Henry?" asked Edward.

"Gordon and Connor do, but Caitlin doesn't. Caitlin is in front of Gordon, looking at him."

"Okay."

Nathaniel felt a chill. "Oh my Gosh…" he whispered, "oh my Gosh…" And at this point, Edward was already as excited as him. "The moment has come, Nat," said Edward, "enjoy your encounter with the pretty purplish-red engine."

"W-what?" Nathaniel opened his eyes, "purplish-red? Doesn't she…royal blue?"

"Well…she's purplish-red since I first saw her."

"Oh my…" Nathaniel did not know that his _mommy_ changed her colour after arriving in England. Caitlin never told him about that, and the video and photos she sent to him were black and white…Now Nathaniel was even more eager to see her.

The train entered the yard, and Nathaniel could see Rosie and a blue tank engine at her side. "Hello, Nat," said the blue engine, "I'm Thomas." Nathaniel smiled at him. "Hello, Thomas," he responded.

From the other end of the yard, Gordon and Connor could see "the surprise" arriving and smiled widely. Gordon could not believe how big Nathaniel was. He already knew he was a giant engine, but he did not imagine something like that. Certainly, photos and videos were not capable to portray the whole majesty of the EM-1. Seeing Nathaniel in person was simply impressive.

Caitlin noticed the expression of astonishment on Gordon's face. "Honey?" she called, "what's the matter?" Gordon looked deeply into her eyes. He approached her and gave her a slight kiss on her lips. "Merry Christmas, my smiling shooting star," he said tenderly, "your surprise is here." Caitlin smiled lovingly. "Thank you, my imposing gentleman," she whispered. Then, Gordon moved backward some metres to allow her to have a larger field of vision.

"Merry Christmas, Caitlin," added Connor. "Enjoy your gift."

"Thank you, Connor." Caitlin was very touched. She had no idea what the surprise could be, but the joy of Gordon and Connor indicated that it was something quite exciting. Then, she saw Gabriel and Sophia approaching. Gabriel pointed a video camera at her, and Sophia beckoned her to look towards the train coming. Now Caitlin got nervous. She immediately gave Gordon a questioning look, wanting to know why this moment had to be filmed. But Gordon just smiled at her…So; Caitlin looked towards the other track and saw Henry there.

"Merry Christmas, Caitlin!" exclaimed the green engine.

"Oh...thank you, Henry!"

Nathaniel held his breath on hearing that voice. _"My mommy…"_ he thought, _"that sweet voice…is from my mommy…"_

Henry exchanged complicit looks with Gordon and Connor before continuing on his way. He moved slowly, and as he passed by, Caitlin could see the flatbed behind him.

The P-7 thought she would see a big Christmas tree or something like that. But instead, she saw…the back of an enormous black coloured tender. Caitlin raised her eyebrows. It was not the tender itself what left her confused, but the fact that it lacked buffers and had an American-type coupler...

The train continued moving, and soon, three words in capital letters could be seen on the side of the tender. Caitlin gasped. The words formed the name of a _railroad_ she loved deeply; _BALTIMORE AND OHIO…_ and the tender had a semi-streamlined design that she knew very well… _"What does this mean?"_ she thought.

And Caitlin's nervousness increased as the following flatbed appeared on her field of vision.

Caitlin began to see the cab of a locomotive. She intelligently deduced that the tender of the previous flatbed did not come alone. Under the window of the cab there was a number, the "679", and a little lower, with small letters, it could be read…"EM-1"

Caitlin's breathing agitated. _"What's going on here?"_ she thought while opening her eyes widely. _"Is this…an inanimate replica?! But...why did they want to surprise me with such a thing?!"_ She looked at Gordon to demand explanations, but before she spoke, her beloved winked at her...That only made her breathing get even more agitated. Then she looked at Connor, and he also winked at her...Then she saw that Sophia was in tears...All this caused her to consider the possibility that what she was getting as a Christmas gift was not a replica at all, but "the original one."

Caitlin looked towards the flatbed again. Without a doubt, that thing was not a replica. A replica would have its paint polished, not terribly deteriorated like this one. And it would not have so many rusty parts either. But Caitlin still refused to believe that what she was seeing was the same one who she was thinking about…

Caitlin's heart beat strongly as she saw the EM-1's wheels, those wheels that seemed to be too small to hold up such a beast...She slid her gaze over the long boiler; the huge pipes; the cylinders; the smokebox...and the tears began to escape her eyes while Nathaniel's name escaped her lips in a whisper that only she could hear. Then she saw the pilot…and the train stopped.

The P-7's vision became blurred due to tears. So, she blinked a couple of times to look up at the engine's face, and her gaze met his…

Three years after their sad farewell, Caitlin and Nathaniel found themselves face to face again.

Nathaniel was on the verge of tears. He looked at Caitlin's eyes sweetly, his lips slowly curved in a trembling smile, and he swallowed hard to speak. But he could hardly articulate three words before being defeated by the lump in his throat;

"M-merry Christmas, mommy…"

Caitlin was literally paralyzed. The fact that Nathaniel could come to Sodor was impossible for her, so impossible that she was still afraid of being watching an inanimate replica...But the voice of that impressive machine was real…And his tears too...And his trembling smile too...

After a few seconds that seemed eternal, Caitlin took a deep breath and slurred some words; "Oh my Gosh..." Then, she took another breath and screamed from the bottom of her heart;

"...MY BABY!"

And she burst into tears.

Gordon immediately approached his beloved and pressed his cheek against hers. He got a bit scared at this reaction from Caitlin, and he wondered if it would have been better to prepare her for this surprise instead of keeping the secret until the very last moment. Connor wondered the same thing.

As for Nathaniel, his _mommy_ 's exclamation had made him close his eyes and cry. And so Edward, who was watching everything from his privileged place, comforted him by respectfully caressing his side with his steam.

And Henry, despite the fact that he could not see the scene behind him, was also touched.

Caitlin did not cry so long. She soon remembered that she was at a shunting yard, and she did not want all the locomotives to see her like that, not to mention that she knew she was being filmed. As she could calm down, Gordon moved from her cheek and gave her a look of worry. So Caitlin let him know that all was right. "Thank you, my love..." she whispered, "…I'm fine." Gordon smiled with relief. Then, Caitlin looked at Connor and saw that he was worried as well. "Thank you, my brother," she said to him. And Connor also smiled with relief.

Finally, Caitlin looked at Nathaniel and smiled at him. "Nathaniel..." she said tenderly, her voice threatening to break again, "m-my beloved baby...seeing you here is a gift from Heaven...Tell me I'm not dreaming…please tell me I'm not dreaming…"

Nathaniel smiled tearfully. Caitlin's voice was music to his soul. "Y-you're not dreaming, mommy," he responded with a faltering voice, "it's me…I-I was saved…"

"Oh my Gosh…"

Caitlin cried again. And Nathaniel too. The heavenly happiness they were feeling was much greater than the capacity of their hearts to hold it. And this time none of them cared that they were being filmed. But, in fact, Gabriel had to stop filming for a little while in order to dry his own tears...

"I'm so happy for you, my baby…" said Caitlin later, "This is the best Christmas surprise…I can't believe you're here…"

"I can't believe it either, mommy…" responded the EM-1, "I still can't believe I was saved…and from all the places in the world; I-I would have never imagined that the Lord would send me here..."

Caitlin and Nathaniel looked at each other with their eyes full of love, and their cheeks covered in tears. Then, Nathaniel looked at Caitlin's Guardian Angels. "Gordon...Connor..."

The two engines smiled at him. "Hello, Nathaniel," said Gordon, "welcome home."

"Hello, Nathaniel," Connor greeted as well, "have a happy life on Sodor."

"Thank you, my friends…I-I'm happy to be able to see you all personally…This is a dream came true…When they told me that I was bought by the Earl of Sodor…I-I almost fainted."

"The Earl of Sodor?" Caitlin was surprised, "do you mean Sir Robert Norramby?"

"Yes, mommy, he bought me some days before my little sister was born…and I'll live at Ulfstead."

Caitlin pressed her eyelids and blew her whistle with all her strength.

Nathaniel laughed between his tears. _"That's my mommy,"_ he thought. And Gordon and Connor could not help but laugh too.

Caitlin thought that Nathaniel had been bought by Sir Topham Hatt, so this revelation was a pleasant surprise. Now it made sense the huge shed that was built at Ulfstead, which Sir Norramby said it was "to park a whole train."

"My new owner is a very generous man," said Nathaniel after Caitlin ran out of steam to whistle. "In addition to saving my life; he paid for the repair of my brakes...So I spent a wonderful week with Austin, moving to and fro under my own steam and visiting my friends."

"Glad to hear that, Nathaniel," Gordon said. "When Connor and I knew that you were having fun with your brother we felt very happy. You deserved that blessing."

"Thank you, Gordon," Nathaniel looked at the blue engine with affection. "And thanks for having begged for my life…What you and Connor did for me is priceless…They told me that you two were the main ones responsible for my salvation."

Caitlin opened her eyes widely.

"We're pleased to have been able to help save your life," responded Gordon. "When Gabriel delivered me your farewell message I got desperate, because I didn't want you to go. Besides, I didn't know how to say Caitlin that her baby was about to be scrapped."

"But thank Heaven everything ended well," said Connor, "and we're happy that you were able to meet your little sister and take the ship just in time to be here before Christmas."

"Thank you, my friends…You're angels for me."

"E-excuse-me!" interrupted Caitlin, "The main ones responsible? Farewell message? Did I miss something?"

"Yes, my love," said Gordon, "you missed a lot of things. But Connor and I'll gladly tell you the whole story later."

"An impressive story, by the way," Connor smiled.

Caitlin stayed open-mouthed. She was sure that Gordon and Connor had forgiven Nathaniel for what he did, but she always wondered what they would have done in case they were face to face with him. And now she discovered that they themselves helped save Nathaniel's life and were happy to see him on Sodor..."O-oh my beloved ones…" Caitlin thought she was dreaming, "you're wonderful…I-I would have never expected a surprise like this…I would like to do something great for you two for having helped to save my baby…"

Gordon and Connor looked at Caitlin tenderly. "You're already doing it, sweetie," said Gordon, "the great happiness you're feeling now is our prize."

"And the crazy whistle you blew too," added Connor.

Everyone laughed. Caitlin was living the moment of her life.

The pretty P-7 looked at her _baby_ again. "Nathaniel," she said, "I notice that you three have been communicating behind my back, so you owe me many explanations."

"Hee! Hee! Yes, mommy, I have many things to tell indeed…By the way, I want to deliver you all the greetings from our friends…Austin, Bernard, Washington and the O'Mara family say hello to you all."

"Thank you!" responded the three express engines.

"You're welcome, my angels…And, Caitlin, your friend Jessica also says hello to you. She was saved from the scrapping and was donated to the city of Roanoke."

"Wow! My dear Jessica…Oh my Gosh…I'm so happy to hear she was saved!"

"And she's Austin girlfriend…"

Caitlin gasped. "Austin's girlfriend?! Is my Jessica…Austin's girlfriend?!"

"Yes," Nathaniel smiled, "she is."

"WOO-HOOOOOO! The sweetest and most beautiful couple in the USA!"

"Ha! Ha! That's exactly what they are…And speaking of beautiful, I didn't know you're purplish-red now…"

"Oh…Hee! Hee! I forgot to tell you about this. I got this colour after arriving in England."

"And it fits you perfectly. It makes you look like what you are…a beautiful flower."

"Aww…thank you, my baby."

At that moment, an engine came along. "Excuse-me," said a female voice, "can I join this celebration? A little bird told me that a friend of mine got a giant Christmas surprise."

"Emily!" exclaimed Caitlin, "that little bird is right! This is my baby Nathaniel; Sir Robert Norramby's new engine!"

The emerald engine looked at the giant surprise with a smile. "Hello, Nathaniel," she greeted, "I'm Emily. Pleased to meet my friend's baby."

Nathaniel giggled. "Hello, Emily. Pleased to meet my mommy's friend. I'm a little large to be a baby, but that's how she calls me."

"And I don't blame her for that," said Emily sweetly. "I also know what motherly love is like, and I wanted to meet you since your _mommy_ told me about you."

"Oh..."

Emily was very happy for Caitlin and Nathaniel. The _little bird_ who told her about this encounter was Gordon. Knowing that she was Caitlin's best female friend, Gordon decided to tell her the secret in the morning, and now Emily was also enjoying the surprise. She understood Caitlin's motherly feelings and knew how much she wanted to see her _baby_ again, so she shared her friend's happiness.

After a while, the yard manager signalled to Edward indicating to him that it was time for them to go.

"Sorry for interrupting the conversation," said Edward to his friends, "but we must continue on our way to the Steamworks."

"Oh…and I'm sorry I forgot to say hello to you before, Edward..." apologised the P-7.

"It's all right, Caitlin. I'm happy to have witnessed this heavenly encounter. We'll take your baby to the Steamworks now, and he'll soon be puffing along the lines with us."

"What?" Caitlin looked at Nathaniel, "Are you going to be put into service again?"

The EM-1 smiled. "Yes, mommy, I'll work here."

"WOW! Ha! Ha! Silly me…I thought you would get a cosmetic restoration and they would place you on static display at Ulfstead!"

All the engines laughed. "Don't be cruel, Caitlin!" yelled Henry, and the laughter continued.

Nathaniel thought he could make his mommy even happier, so he gave her another great announcement; "And they told I'll work at the Other Railway sometimes as well."

Caitlin's jaw dropped. She madly blew her whistle, making everyone laugh even more. "Well, go to the Steamworks right now, my son," Caitlin ordered playfully, "there are tons of things to do in December!"

"Whatever you say, mother!"

More laughter echoed through the yard.

Nathaniel thanked Gordon and Connor once more for helping save his life, and then, Henry and Edward began to get the train out of the yard. Caitlin gave the EM-1 a tender gaze while he left, still unable to believe that he was really on Sodor.

Then, Emily smiled to her female friend. "Oh, Caitlin," she said, "I'm so happy with this surprise. You look radiant with joy, and your baby is a sweetheart!"

"Thank you, Emily! It's a blessing from Heaven to see my baby again. I can assure you that he'll be a good friend to everyone."

"And I can assure you that everyone will like him. By the way, I'll accompany him to Maron. Sir Topham Hatt asked me to help Edward and Henry climb Gordon's Hill."

"That's a good idea from Sir Topham Hatt. My baby is a little heavy!"

"Hee! Hee! I see!"

Emily went to help Edward and Henry, and then, Gabriel and Sophia approached the express engines. The spouses congratulated Caitlin "on being the first engine to get a Christmas gift this year," and Caitlin thanked them for having collaborated to make this heavenly surprise possible. The P-7 also thanked Gabriel for filming the event. She imagined how happy Austin and Mr. O'Mara would feel on seeing the video.

Once the spouses left, Caitlin looked at her Guardian Angels with deep love. "This was the best surprise of my life," she said tenderly, "Did you two want me to have a heart attack or whatever it's called in railway terms?"

Gordon and Connor giggled. "We just wanted to see you radiant with joy, sweetie," responded Gordon.

"You're very important to us, Caitlin," said Connor, "your happiness is our happiness."

"Oh, my beloved ones…thank you…You made me almost collapse from joy overload…I still can't believe what happened…Please tell me the details of this miracle."

"Well, it began a month ago," said Gordon. "Gabriel told me that Nathaniel had a farewell message for you, because no buyer had appeared yet and Mrs. O'Mara would give birth within the following days…Nathaniel wanted you to know that he would think of us until his last breath, and he thanked you once more for having been his mommy. Gabriel asked me to let you know it as soon as possible for you to be able to send an answer before it's too late…I didn't know how to give you that terrible announcement…It occurred to me that perhaps Sir Topham Hatt could buy Nathaniel, so I spoke to him about it, but he said it was not possible for an EM-1 to work on Sodor. Then, I asked Connor to help me give you the bad news."

Caitlin swallowed hard.

"It was that day in which I told you that I would spend the night at the works because I heard some strange noises from my boiler," said Connor. "I only invented that problem because I wanted to be far from you so that you could not see how sad I was…The next day I should've brought you to Vicarstown at noon for us to meet up with Gordon. But while I was waiting for you at Barrow, I heard a conversation from our controller's office. He was talking with some engineers about the possibility of buying a giant American engine to transport building materials. The engineers said it was feasible for an Allegheny-type engine to work on the British railways, and they proposed to buy an AG from the _Virginian_."

Caitlin raised her eyebrows.

"Our controller told them about Nathaniel," continued Connor, "but they said that the AG was much more powerful, so they agreed to buy the AG…I felt very sad…I knew that this news it would be even worse for you, then, I wanted to talk with Gordon again before talking with you. That's why I said to you that my driver wanted to have lunch at Vicarstown…I thanked our controller for trying to save Nathaniel and for asking his colleagues not to say anything about the AG...He wanted Gordon and me to talk to you about the new engine before you hear of that from other sources."

Caitlin could not believe what she was hearing.

"I was surprised that Connor came to Vicarstown without you," said Gordon. "Then he told me about what happened, and I had a glimmer of hope on hearing that a much heavier engine than Nathaniel could work on the British railways. So I talked with Sir Topham Hatt again and begged him to buy your baby, but he said that an EM-1 was not necessary on Sodor in addition to being an engine that demands great maintenance expenses...I felt sadder than ever...I couldn't wait any longer to tell you the bad news, because time was running out."

A few tears escaped Caitlin's eyes. She had no idea that Gordon and Connor had been through such an anguishing moment.

"But that very evening my sadness turned into joy," continued Gordon with a smile. "Sir Robert Norramby arrived at Knapford with Sir Topham Hatt, and he told me that he bought Nathaniel...I thought I was dreaming...and I was eager to let you know it. But soon it came to my mind that your baby's arrival could be a Christmas surprise for you…Then, when Connor brought you to Vicarstown the following day, I said to you that they extended until the end of December the period of time they had given Nathaniel to wait for a buyer…That was not true, it was just something that Gabriel and I invented to be able to keep the secret from you…I wanted to be alone with Connor to tell him the news, but I didn't know how to ask you to go...Luckily, he had a good idea; he said to you to go first because he would let you win the race that day."

Caitlin giggled through her tears.

"I felt like Heaven on hearing that Sir Robert Norramby bought Nathaniel," said Connor, "and I found it wonderful the idea to make his arrival be a Christmas surprise for you…But Gordon and I had to struggle to hide our happiness all this time...We were crazy to tell you that your baby was saved. At last the great day came."

Caitlin gave her friends a glance full of tenderness as tears of gratitude adorned her cheeks. "I-I would've never imagined what you were up to," she said, trying not to cry; "although…I noticed that you two were exchanging complicit looks lately..." Gordon and Connor smiled lovingly at her. "Thanks for making me shed so many tears of happiness," continued Caitlin, struggling even more not to cry, "…thanks for accepting my baby as a friend and for helping save his life…I-I never thought I would see him again…Now I can see...t-that everything was part of a higher plan…" Caitlin was finally defeated by the lump in her throat, and tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

Caitlin was right; everything was part of a higher plan. It was necessary Nathaniel's suffering and redemption for him to be on Sodor right now. It were necessary the videos and Caitlin's tears for Gordon and Connor to forgive him and make him a place in their hearts. It was necessary the insistence from Gordon to Sir Topham Hatt so that, in the end, this one ended up talking with Sir Robert Norramby about the EM-1…Without doubt, nothing happened by chance.

Caitlin meditated on all these events while smiling tearfully. And her boyfriend and brother took turns caressing her with their steam while telling her they love her...It was a very tender moment for them.

But this moment could not last longer, because all three had work to do.

After Caitlin's tears were dry, Connor said 'see you' to her and Gordon and went to take his passengers from Knapford. Then, Gordon pumped his pistons to leave as well. He had to go to Suddery to take the Mayor of Sodor to Rolf's Castle. But Caitlin, who was on the same track as Gordon and had to go to Ulfstead, did not seem ready to move.

"I must go, sweetie," said Gordon.

"Go ahead, honey."

Gordon smiled. "You're in front of me."

"Oh...go backward then."

"Ha! Ha! Um…I'm at the end of a siding and there are no longer rails behind me…"

"Well, in that case…push me."

Gordon was delighted with this little joke from Caitlin. He slowly approached her until his buffers touched her skirt. "You know I can't do this…" he replied with his pleasant manly voice. Caitlin looked deeply into his eyes. Then, Caitlin smiled and whispered; "You're in serious trouble..."

Gordon could not be more in love with her. "Never mind, precious…" he said as he closed the distance between them, "let's enjoy this trouble for a sweet minute while I think of a solution…"

And their lips joined.

Caitlin was not willing to wait until Christmas to have such a _sweet_ _minute_ …

* * *

And while Gordon thought about how to solve his _serious trouble_ , Nathaniel reached Maron.

Nathaniel was enjoying his ride through Sodor. Climbing Gordon's Hill had made his eyes bright, because in addition to feeling like in his _natural habitat_ , he could appreciate the beautiful landscapes of the island from the heights. He imagined the exciting moment in which he would finally climb the hill under his own steam.

As the train stopped at Maron Station, a man approached the edge of the platform. Despite his medium height, the man looked imposing. "Hello, Nathaniel," he greeted, "welcome to Sodor. I'm Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of this railway."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," responded the EM-1. "I'm very happy to be on Sodor. This island is beautiful, and I already feel at home with my new friends. You have wonderful engines, sir."

"Oh…thank you. I always say that a happy engine is a useful engine, so I'm glad to hear that you already feel at home. I hope your maintenance is successful and you can be ready to enjoy Christmas with your new friends."

"Thank you, sir! And also, thanks for having told Sir Robert Norramby about me."

Sir Topham Hatt swallowed. "You're welcome, Nathaniel…" he said, looking at the EM-1 with affection, "I'm glad I did it."

Nathaniel smiled widely. He was happy to meet this man who had been another of the main heroes of his salvation.

Before continuing the journey to the Steamworks, Emily was uncoupled from the train. Nathaniel did not like this and his smile faded a little, but he was glad to know he would soon see her again. He found that the emerald engine was a cheerful, kindly, helpful girl, in addition to having 'the world's most impressive wheels'.

During the rest of the journey, Nathaniel learned the names of the places and met many more engines, including the three diesels that Edward had said _were_ _not so friendly_ ; Diesel, 'Arry and Bert. Although Nathaniel greeted these three engines with a big smile, they just rolled their eyes and continued on their way. But it could be said they got scared, judging by the way they sped up...

At Kirk Ronan Junction, two powerful whistles thundered through the air. It was Caitlin and Connor, who were taking their passengers back to the Mainland. Nathaniel felt happy on seeing them again.

"Take good care of my baby!" exclaimed the P-7. "Okay, Caitlin!" responded Henry and Edward.

Caitlin winked at her _baby_ on passing beside him, making his heart pound with joy. Then, Nathaniel closed his eyes to focus on feeling the steam from his two compatriots and the wind they generated as they flew down the line.

On arriving at the Steamworks, Nathaniel was welcomed by Victor and Kevin. Victor had already been informed that a "too big engine" would arrive this day, but Kevin did not have idea about that. So the little crane almost stayed mute on seeing the giant.

Once the necessary manoeuvres had made, the EM-1's tender was removed from the flatbed. Then, Nathaniel looked at Victor and asked a question with somewhat of angst in his voice. "Will I spend the night there above, Victor?"

"Don't you like the heights, my friend?"

"No, is not that. It's just that...well...I was on a ship for so long and...I would like to feel secure on the ground...but only if possible."

"Oh..." Victor understood the EM-1's wish. He also knew what a long journey by the Atlantic feels like, with the ship's stagger and the strong winds that in some occasions can get to break a locomotive's chains...He was not surprised that Nathaniel wanted to feel _secure on the ground_ instead of spending the night attached to a hoist.

But before Victor gave an answer, someone already offered to help.

"If they take his coupler off, Victor," said Edward, "I'll try to push him up to the sheds back there."

"Good idea, Edward," responded the red engine, "there's precisely a free berth there. Well, Nat, you'll feel the firm rails under your wheels this night."

"Thank you, Victor!"

Nathaniel was placed on the rails near the sheds that there were on the back of the Steamworks. Then, a worker approached to remove his coupler.

And a sudden feeling of loss seized Nathaniel at this point. While the worker began to rotate the first bolt from his coupler, he remembered that, through this part of his machine, he had been strongly joined to his brothers as they were scrapped…and had felt the last beats of their hearts...It was a moment of nostalgia for him. But fortunately, the joy from his encounter with Caitlin prevented him from getting sad, and the feeling of loss soon disappeared.

Once the coupler had been removed, Edward got close and pressed his buffers directly against Nathaniel's pilot beam. "Let me know if your wheels hurt as I push you," said the kind engine.

"Don't worry about me, Eddie," responded Nathaniel tenderly, "just take care of yourself. I don't want you to get damaged because of me."

Edward giggled. "Okay. Here I go."

It was hard to move the EM-1 without Henry's help, but Edward managed to do it. After all, he had pushed two trains uphill once...

As Nathaniel was inside of the shed, he looked with affection and admiration at his little friend. "Thank you for being so good to me, Eddie," he said, "you're a great friend. I'm happy to meet you and have spent my first hours on Sodor by traveling and talking with you. The day I'm ready to work again, I'll be your faithful helper."

Edward smiled sweetly. "I'm also happy to meet you, Nat, and I'll be glad to count on your help. I wish you have a good night's sleep. And tomorrow, when your maintenance starts; relax and trust Victor and his team."

"Oh…okay. Thank you, Eddie."

"You're welcome, my friend." Edward separated from Nathaniel and moved backward.

Then, Nathaniel looked at the big green engine. "Henry," he said, "although we didn't talk so much during the journey, I can see you're a very kind engine. I'm happy that you're my new friend."

"I'm glad to be your friend, Nat," responded Henry, "and I'm happy that you were saved and could see your mommy again."

"Thank you, Henry!"

Edward and Henry left, and Victor went back to his work.

Nathaniel closed his eyes and a smile adorned his face. _"Edward is an angel…"_ he thought, _"he's so good and wise…and he worries about my well-being…He looks at me affectionately and treats me with respect…I think I have two words to summarize what he is…'little Austin'...yes…he's a perfect little Austin…Oh, my beloved bro-"_

"Hello?"

A feminine voice interrupted the EM-1's thoughts, making him open his eyes and look towards his right side.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you arrive," apologised the voice's owner; "I was a bit bored and fell asleep…"

Nathaniel gulped. He could not believe what there was right beside him; a beautiful blue coloured tank engine, with attractive prominent cheekbones and a cute gaze.

"Um...I'm Belle," continued the engine.

Nathaniel finally responded. "I-I see...you must be _the belle of Sodor_ …But…what's your name?"

"Hee! Hee! Actually, Belle is my name."

"O-OH! I-I'm sorry…Silly me…Pleased to meet you, Belle. I'm Nathaniel."

"Pleased to meet you too, Nathaniel. I've never seen such a big engine…I bet you can do anything."

"W-well…I can do many things indeed, but not everything. I would never be as agile as you…"

Belle smiled, and she blushed deeply while her gaze lost itself in Nathaniel's. She found that the newcomer was very handsome.

And Nathaniel found that Belle's cheekbones looked even more attractive painted red…

Some seconds had passed when the EM-1 decided to continue the conversation. "By the way…" he cleared his throat, "can I ask…what those things over your tanks are?"

"Of course. They're water cannons. My main job is to help put out fires."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "Are you a firefighter?!"

"Yes, I'm."

"Stunning Steep Climbs!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Mainland, Caitlin arrived at the sheds at Barrow Station. Connor was already there.

Connor saw that Caitlin, instead of entering her berth, placed herself on the same track as him. "I'm almost sure you took the wrong track," joked the Hudson.

Caitlin smiled as she approached him. "I did it on purpose," she responded, "because I wanted to confess a mistake I have been making for more than a year."

"Ha! Ha! Oh, dear...I wonder what mistake an angel like you has been making for so long."

Caitlin's smile faded, giving place to an expression of repentance. "I was being unfair to you…"

Connor raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Today you asked me a question that made me think...and I realized that I was being unfair to you."

"Um…I really don't understand...What did I ask you?"

"It was when we were going to Wellsworth..."

* * *

 _"Why are you so happy, Connor?!"_

 _"What a question, Caitlin! Christmas is around the corner!"_

 _"Aww...you're right! I'm already thinking about all the kisses I'll give to Gordon!"_

 _"And will there be a kiss for me, just in case?!"_

* * *

"O-oh…" Connor understood now, "Caitlin…I didn't say that with a bad intention…In fact, I was so excited about Nathaniel's arrival that I said it without thinking."

"No…" Caitlin moved forward until her skirt touched Connor's, "you said it because I no longer showed you my affection as often as I did it before…I only thought of Gordon lately…Thank you for opening my eyes…" Caitlin got even closer and gave Connor a tender, slow kiss on his cheek. "I love you, my brother…" she whispered, "I love you with all my strength…You're the first friend I met in my new life…and that will never change…You have a place in my heart that is only yours."

Connor smiled, very touched. "My sister…I also love you with all my strength…and all I want is you to be happy...I don't think you were unfair to me…You're in love with Gordon and I understand that…But…thanks for telling me that there's a place only mine in your heart…That makes me feel secure and very happy…" Connor saw some tears escaping Caitlin's eyes. So, he pressed his cheek against hers and embraced her with his steam. "It's all right..." he whispered, "…it's all right…"

Connor really felt secure and happy with his sister's words and kiss. He could not deny that the demonstrations of affection from Caitlin to him had diminished a little since she fell in love with Gordon. And although he knew that Caitlin loved him as much as always, he wanted to have moments like this more often.

And Caitlin swore to herself she would give Connor more moments like this, even more considering that Nathaniel would be another recipient of her demonstrations of affection from now on...From the time she knew that Connor was one of the main heroes of her _baby_ 's salvation, she thought that the least she could do to thank him was to let him know how much she loved him.

After a few minutes, Caitlin looked at Connor in the eyes. "Thanks for being my brother…" she said, "and for helping save my baby…and for this sweet embrace…and for many more things..."

Connor felt a great fondness for his sister, and he sweetly kissed her cheek. "My pleasure…" he said, "and thanks for being the best sister in the world…and my best female friend…and my greatest gift from Heaven…"

Caitlin's lips curved into a smile full of love. "My pleasure," she responded, and she continued to enjoy her brother's embrace for a little longer.

Then, Caitlin moved to her berth. And she soon remembered something. "By the way, Connor," she said, "do you know when the Virginian's AG will arrive? I'm eager to meet him/her."

"Actually, he's already here in England."

"Really?"

"Yes, he came in the same ship as Nathaniel. He disembarked at the Port of Liverpool this morning and was taken to Crewe for his maintenance. They say his name is Sam."

"Wooow…So, my baby was accompanied by somebody his own size during his journey…"

"That's right. And I'm sure they got along well."

The P-7 smiled widely.

This had been the best day of Caitlin's life and she could not be happier. Before sleeping, she thanked Heaven for the miracle of having Nathaniel on Sodor and for the blessing of having a brother and a boyfriend like Connor and Gordon. She also thanked for Nathania's birth and for Austin and Jessica's relationship. Then, she fell asleep peacefully.

And speaking of relationship, Caitlin would still have another heavenly surprise within the following days…


	8. The Blue Butterfly

Hello there! Continuing with the fierce race against the clock, the Chapter VIII is ready. Here you'll know how Nathaniel lives his days at the Steamworks. :)

I would want to clarify something. In the previous chapter, 'Eddie' had said that there were three diesels not so friendly: Diesel, 'Arry and Bert. Then, maybe you're thinking that I forgot Diesel 10. In reality I didn't, it's just that I don't consider Diesel 10 as a canon character. He perfectly served his purpose to TATMR, but I think he's too unpleasant and evil to be part of the TV show. There's not any 'good side' in him to be explored, and in fact, it looks like not even the other diesels feel at ease with him. I simply don't like his character, and that's why I shunted him aside.

Guest 4: I'm honoured that you enjoyed the chapter so much, my friend, that makes me very happy. :) I want to thank you for always encouraging me to keep writing, but I must be honest with you. Last year I've written three stories, the last two chapters of *A Kiss at Midnight* and the first two of *Together at Christmas Eve*, making a total of 22 chapters, which means an average of one chapter every 16 and a half days. But this year, I've written just six chapters in eleven months...That's the proof of how much the new series made me lose interest in writing fics. And, by the way, I don't care about "the changes," but about the UN's dark intentions that there are behind them, not to mention that the series is riddled with sexual messages like Disney movies lately. Besides, Mattel itself mocks the fans who don't like the Season 22, and that's simply unforgivable. :(

Guest, Snowflake and Rainbow: I thank the three of you! :)

Australian Guest: Thank you, my friend. I dedicate this chapter to you. :D

See you soon, my friends!

* * *

 ** _..._**

* * *

 _"He fell deeply in love with her, and his heart became set on her."_ (Tobit 6:18)

* * *

 **CHAPTER VIII**

 **THE BLUE BUTTERFLY  
**

* * *

 _"My little Belle...a _re you the one whom my heart longed for?_ "_ -Nathaniel

* * *

It was just admirable and lovely how he slept.

If Caitlin had seen him, she would have said that he was _sleeping like a baby_.

The noises of the works did not manage to wake him up. Not even the thunder produced by a load of steel tubes that Kevin let fall on the floor…He simply continued sleeping. And the female tank engine who was at his side too.

Nathaniel and Belle had spent the night talking and talking until their throats got dry. And afterwards they kept talking. Then, when they finally decided to shut up and close the eyes to sleep, it was almost time for the workers to open the doors of the Steamworks and starting their tasks.

So, the lovely scene they were offering the public right now was understandable.

The EM-1 slept so peacefully that the workers had not the heart to interrupt his sweet dreams. But it was time for his maintenance to start. So, one of the workers climbed onto his pilot and kindly touched his cheek. "Nathaniel?" called the man, "wake up, boy..." As there was not any reaction from the sleepyhead one, the man called him again and again until he noticed a slight movement of his eyelids.

Nathaniel was at last awake. He wanted to see who the hand that caressed him belonged to, but the sun's rays that illuminated the works were annoying to his eyes. He managed to raise his eyelids a few centimetres and saw a blurry human shape in front of him. Some seconds later, he got to see the man's name in the ID card that he had attached to the overalls pocket. It was 'Joseph McAllen.' Nathaniel opened his eyes a little more in order to see the man's face, but the sun's rays were so strong that his eyes covered in tears by way of protest and he had to close them again.

"Sorry for bothering you, boy," said the worker while drying Nathaniel's tears with a cloth, "but we must begin your maintenance."

Once Nathaniel's eyes stopped protesting, he could open them enough to see the worker's face. "Good morning, sir," he greeted, "I'm ready for my maintenance."

The man giggled. "It's 'good afternoon.' You slept the entire morning."

Poor Nathaniel gasped. Now he knew the reason why the sun's rays were so strong. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't notice that. I'm really sorry."

"Easy, it's good that you've rested…Now we're going to install a screw link coupling on your pilot beam and an engine will pull you out of here. Oh, and I was informed that there is a bag for Gabriel Sand in your cab. I'll deliver it to him."

"Thank you, sir! That's very important to me."

"It's my pleasure to help you." The man looked affectionately at the EM-1. "Call me Joseph."

"Oh…" Nathaniel smiled, "well...Joseph."

Nathaniel was surprised. Adult humans did not usually ask the engines to call them by their names, not even their own crewmen. He thought that the case of Gabriel and Sophia was unique, but he had just realized that he was wrong.

While they were installing the screw link coupling on his pilot beam, Nathaniel looked at Belle. Now that she was sleeping, he could watch her from top to bottom at his ease. He loved Belle's livery, since blue was his favourite colour. He also loved talking with her. After listening to the stories she told him, he realized that she was a very brave girl for not being afraid of facing the destructive fire. The story that impressed him most was the one of the fire at Vicarstown Dieselworks, not only because the main building was completely destroyed, but also for the circumstances around such an event. When Edward said to him that they have had 'some unpleasant quarrels' with the diesels in the past, he did not imagine something so serious.

Nathaniel also realized that Belle, just like all the 'super-heroes', had a weak side, and it was the fact that, depending on how long it took her to put out a fire, her tanks could run out of water, which would seriously endanger her in case the fire had not yet been fully controlled. Nathaniel deeply wished he could always be close to Belle in moments of danger to help her. His tender would always have enough water to fill her tanks up, and he would always have enough strength and delicateness to push her to a safe place.

Soon, an engine came to the works. It was Hiro. The kind Japanese engine greeted Nathaniel and coupled up to him to pull him out of the berth in which he spent the night. Hiro pulled the EM-1 up to the turntable, and then, he gave him a message. "I saw Caitlin when I was coming," said Hiro, "she says hello to you and says she'll come to visit you as soon as she can."

"Thank you, Hiro! I'll look forward to her visit." Nathaniel was happy. He was eager to have a moment in private with Caitlin. But it soon came to his mind that maybe it was not yet the right moment for that. "Um...Hiro," he said, "on second thought, I think that it'll be better if she waits until my maintenance is done to visit me. I won't feel so comfortable to talk while I'm disassembled...Could you tell her that?"

"Of course I will. I also think that is better, and Caitlin will understand it."

"Thank you, my friend."

As Hiro left, Victor approached the turntable. "Good afternoon, Nat."

Nathaniel giggled. "Good afternoon, Victor. You know what? Belle and I talked joyfully the entire night."

"I've suspected it. It's incredible how you two slept in the middle of all the noise we've made. But I'm happy that you two have had a nice night, even more so considering that Belle looked sad yesterday. Well, Nat, we're going to start your repair."

"Okay."

Despite having said he was ready for his maintenance, Nathaniel got a little nervous as the workers placed the hoist ropes around his boiler. "Victor," he called, trying to sound as normal as possible, "have they repaired an articulated engine before? Just to know…"

Victor, who was an expert on discovering when his 'patients' were nervous, smiled at the EM-1 with sympathy. He was not going to lie to Nathaniel, but he did not want to give him an answer that could leave him even more nervous either. He wanted to say something that could calm his fears. And, fortunately, he found the perfect words.

"Not really," responded Victor in a calm tone, "but don't worry, my friend…the British invented the locomotives."

"O-oh...Hee! Hee! You're right."

Those words were enough for Nathaniel to understand he was in good hands. Besides, Nathaniel remembered what Edward said to him the previous day; _'relax and trust Victor and his team'._ So, obeying the advice of his 'little Austin', he relaxed and docilely surrendered himself unto the hands of the workers.

Nathaniel was elevated in order to separate him from his frame, and then, he was placed on a fixed platform.

* * *

At evening, Joseph McAllen arrived at Gabriel and Sophia's house, carrying the bag with the photos and video sent by Mr. O'Mara.

The three friends were delighted with the photos, and enjoyed a lot to see the video about Nathaniel and his little sister's meeting. They were touched by how sweet and strong the relationship between Nathaniel and the O'Mara family was. That was precisely the reason why Joseph still did not tell the EM-1 that he would be his new driver. He wanted to gain his trust in the first place.

Later, the friends went to the table to have dinner and got to talk about Nathaniel. "He's an impressive machine," said Joseph. "Were it not for the fact that Mr. O'Mara explained to me how he works, I would have been scared."

"But do you think you'll be able to drive him?" asked Sophia.

"Yes, I do. In fact, I already learned many things today while he was being disassembled."

"And speaking of that," said Gabriel, "how did he behave during the process? Was he another Gordon who complains all the time while being repaired?"

Everyone laughed.

"I can assure you that he's the opposite of Gordon," responded Joseph. "He was calm and cheerful, although at first he was a little nervous. I was surprised by his behaviour…I really like him, and I'm honoured that Sir Norramby trusted me to be his driver."

"I'm happy for you, my friend. I wish you have a successful career as a driver."

"Thank you, Gabriel. And I'm happy to have a mentor like your father."

Gabriel smiled proudly.

After dinner, Joseph went home. He had a full but exciting agenda for the following days. In the mornings, he would have the rehearsal with the children's choir that would perform at the Christmas Eve party. And in the afternoons, he would go to the Steamworks to accompany Nathaniel's maintenance in order to learn all about the parts of his machine.

* * *

The following days were exciting for Belle as well.

The blue engine was so happy with Nathaniel that sometimes she came to forget the reason why she was at the Steamworks...Every time that Victor apologised because the spare parts for her did not come yet, she just responded " _Oh, don't worry, Victor. I'm very fine here."_ Victor always stayed open-mouthed at such an answer, but Belle was serious. In fact, Belle would not mind having to spend Christmas at the Steamworks, as long as Nathaniel was at her side.

Belle and Nathaniel talked until late at night at the end of each day. They could not converse during the day because of the distance they were from each other and the noises of the works. So, they always waited eagerly for the coming of the night, the moment in which the workers left and silence reigned. Belle wondered how it was possible that she felt so at ease with an engine she had met just a few days ago...

And Nathaniel wondered the same thing. But his case was even more special than Belle's. He was sure he would not feel at ease getting a visit from Caitlin before his maintenance was finished. However, he had not any qualms about being in the presence of Belle like this, disassembled; immobile in a fixed platform; with his tender on one track and his frame on another…Quite to the contrary, he noticed that he needed the proximity of Belle to be happy in the midst of such a situation, although he did not know the reason for this need. He just knew that he never felt so good with another engine, not even with Austin or Caitlin...He thought that something strange was happening.

And he was right, because something very special was happening.

Nathaniel was falling in love...and Belle too.

That was the reason for so much mystery, but the two love doves still did not know it.

A few more days passed, and despite the fact that Nathaniel enjoyed Belle's company, he began to concern. The maintenance of a locomotive did not usually take more than a week, but it had already been almost two weeks since Nathaniel arrived at the Steamworks and he did not see so much progress lately. Although he fully trusted Victor and his team, he worried on seeing parts of his machine scattered all over the works. And to make things worse, he got scared every time he heard the noise of some things falling on the floor followed by a _'Sorry, boss!'_ on the part of Kevin…

Fortunately, Joseph was there to calm Nathaniel's fears. He explained that the delay was because they were waiting for the spare parts that were being manufactured at Crewe.

Nathaniel already had great affection for Joseph, this young man whom he considered "the special worker" for being the one who talked with him the most. He got surprised on learning that Joseph was a pianist and would play at the Christmas Eve party. Nathaniel did not want to miss that event. He wanted to hear Joseph, Gabriel and Sophia playing carols and hear the children singing.

But then, when there were only five days left for Christmas Eve, a severe snowstorm struck the region during the afternoon, and Nathaniel thought that now the spare parts would not come in time. Anyway, he was encouraged with the certainty that he would have many more Christmases to enjoy.

That very night, after the snowstorm, Nathaniel had difficulty falling asleep because of the cold. The window that was near him had a broken glass. It was not without reason that Victor felt a chill every time Kevin ran too close to the wall...

Belle suffered on seeing Nathaniel struggling to sleep. Even from the distance she was from him, she could notice that his breathing was not deep and that his chin trembled from time to time. " _Nathaniel…"_ she thought, _"I would like to have steam to embrace you…to give you my warmth…"_ Belle sighed, _"Oh, Nathaniel…why do I like you so much to the point of suffering for you? Why does my heart pound every time you smile at me? I can't explain it…"_ Soon, Belle gasped. _"My goodness!"_ She remembered a conversation she had with Caitlin after the Valentine's Day concert…

* * *

 _"Oh, Caitlin! What a touching gesture from your boyfriend! Congratulations!"_

 _"Thank you, Belle!"_

 _"I would like to fall in love too. I dream of finding an engine to whom giving all my love."_

 _"Oh, my dear friend...I promise I'll pray for you to find the love of your life. I really mean that. Being in love is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you."_

* * *

Belle smiled, breathing quickly due to the excitement as she looked at Nathaniel. _"Is that the explanation?"_ she thought, _"Am I in love with you? Are you the answer to Caitlin's prayer? Oh, Nathaniel…my sweet giant..."_ a tear of love rolled down Belle's cheek; _"I wonder if you feel the same way about me…"_

Now Belle was happy and sad at the same time; happy for considering the possibility that Nathaniel was the love of her life, and sad for not being able to give him a little warmth for him to sleep comfortably this night. She promised that, as soon as she has steam again, she would enfold Nathaniel in a hug.

After watching her _sweet giant_ for a while and sending good wishes to him, Belle fell asleep.

Then, in the morning, Nathaniel received some wonderful news that made him forget the hard night.

A diesel came to the works. "Good morning, Nat!"

"Good morning, Paxton!"

"Put a smile on your face, my friend, I brought a lot of things for you."

"Wow...Thank you!"

"You're welcome! These spare parts arrived at Barrow yesterday, but I couldn't take them because of the snowstorm. Luckily, the engines already cleaned the tracks and I could cross the bridge."

"That's good news. Oh, Paxton…you don't imagine how happy I feel!"

"Glad to hear that. Oh, and there's one thing else. They sent a note from Crewe to you."

"A note?"

Paxton's driver got out his cab and approached Nathaniel. Then, he unfolded a piece of paper that he took out of his pocket and read it out.

 _"Dear Nat,_

 _How are you, my friend? I hope you're as fine as me. I always remember you in my prayers. My maintenance is almost finished; I just need some final adjustments and the new coat of paint. I'm very happy and I already made friends. I even got to meet Mallard and the Flying Scotsman. They said they came exclusively to meet me. I felt honored! Now I'm eager to go to Barrow and meet Caitlin and Connor, and of course, I'm eager to see you again and sing with you until people throw tomatoes at us._

 _See you soon, Nat!_

 _Your friend, Sam."_

"Oh…" Nathaniel giggled and was about to cry; "thank you for reading it to me, sir."

"You're welcome, boy." The driver returned to Paxton's cab.

Paxton was uncoupled from his trucks, and then he left.

Among the things sent for Nathaniel there were also the spare parts for Belle. But Belle implored Victor for them to forget her and continue the EM-1's repair first. Victor accepted the request, and Nathaniel felt happy that Belle would stay one more day at the works.

During the rest of the day, the workers were busy placing the new parts in Nathaniel's frame. Victor bit his lower lip every time Kevin transported something, but luckily, Kevin had become quite careful after having broken the window glass the previous day.

While watching the activity in the works, Nathaniel smiled happily thinking about his dear friend Sam, and exchanged tender gazes with Belle from time to time. His hope of being at the Christmas party was rekindled from one moment to another.

The following day, Nathaniel was finally reassembled. Feeling the rails again with his own wheels was a moment of great joy for him. And to make things even happier, he received the visit of Sir Robert Norramby, who gave him two big announcements. On the one hand, for everybody to know his origins, Nathaniel would get back his original number '7629' and would keep the B&O's logo on his pilot and the description on his tender. And on the other hand, he could choose a new paintwork colour. Nathaniel could hardly believe these wonderful announcements. After all, he would wear his original number again and would not lose the logo that Washington gave him. And although he always liked the black livery for considering it "the trademark of steam locomotives," he decided to have a new colour for his new life. Without thinking twice, he chose the royal blue. And, as homage to his brother Austin, he chose the light grey for his smokebox.

After the visit of Sir Norramby, an engine very special for Nathaniel came to the works, bringing a platform full of Christmas ornaments. "Hello, Nat!" greeted the engine.

"Eddie! Hello, my friend. Wow…those spare parts on your platform are incredibly beautiful. Who are they for?"

"Ha! Ha!" Edward laughed heartily. "The entire island is embellished to receive Christmas and this place couldn't be an exception."

"Oh, Eddie…I love Christmas time so much! I can't wait to see how beautiful the island looks with all the ornaments. You know what? Tomorrow they'll give me my new paintwork and I'll be ready to leave the works."

"That's good news, my friend. I'm very happy for you. As you leave here, you'll be impressed by how beautiful the island looks, especially at night when the Christmas lights are on."

"Wow!"

While the workers uncoupled the platform from Edward, an idea came to Nathaniel's mind. He thought he could talk to his wise friend about the "strange things" that happened to him these days.

"Um…before you leave, Eddie," said Nathaniel, "could you come a little closer to me? I would like to have a _man-to-man_ conversation with you…"

"Of course, wait a minute." Edward approached the EM-1. "Yes?"

"Well…it's about Belle," Nathaniel began to speak in a low voice, "I've felt something special since I meet her. It's like a very strong affection, but much stronger than what I feel for any other engine…I feel inexplicably comfortable talking with her, although we met just a few days ago…But what surprises me the most is the fact that, when she told me she could run out of water while putting out a fire, I immediately felt as if I was responsible for her safety and that I wouldn't forgive myself if something bad happened to her…I can't explain it." Then, Nathaniel added a question almost in a whisper; "Do you think…I'm in love with her?"

Edward smiled tenderly. He had felt the same when he fell in love with Molly. "Well," he said, "considering those serious symptoms, I dare say you made a correct diagnosis of your illness."

"Oh…" Nathaniel giggled. "So, that's what falling in love feels like...And how can I know if she feels the same way about me? Have I to ask her?"

"No, absolutely. One must be careful with the words when falling in love, because wrong words can hurt the one that is loved. What you should do is give her subtle samples that you like her and see how she reacts. You can praise her bravery or her beauty, for example. Usually, when a girl is in love, she blushes at being praised by the boy she likes. Then, if you realize she also likes you, you can tell her about your feelings and, finally, declare your love to her."

"Ah…I understand. Then, I'll talk with her this night and see how she reacts. In fact, there's something that makes me think she really likes me. Yesterday, when Paxton brought the spare parts for us, Belle begged Victor for the workers to repair me first."

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes, and she has not been repaired until now."

"Oh, my…That was an act of love from her, Nat, because love is precisely forgetting your own well-being and only thinking about the well-being of the one you love."

"Oh, Eddie…" Nathaniel felt a shiver of emotion, "if Belle loves me and accepts to be my girlfriend, then my life couldn't be better…I'll be the happiest engine in the world."

"I hope your wish comes true, Nat," Edward looked at the EM-1 sweetly, "and may you can have the best Christmas of your life together with Belle."

"Wow…thank you, Eddie, and thanks for this conversation. You helped me a lot."

"You're welcome, my friend…Anything for you. Well, I must go. Have a good night."

"Good night to you too."

As Edward left, Nathaniel watched the workers who were placing the Christmas ornaments at the works. He smiled at the fact of being in love and was eagerly waiting for the workers to finish their task and leave in order to be able to talk with Belle in private.

Meanwhile, Belle looked at Nathaniel. She was not interested in seeing the Christmas ornaments at this moment, but in seeing Nathaniel reassembled and smiling. Now that she already admitted that she was in love with him, she thought that he looked even more handsome than before. She slid her gaze over each part of the EM-1, from the pilot to the cab, and from de cab to the pilot again. Then, she saw that Nathaniel was smiling at her. Belle shyly returned the smile, and her heart almost exploded on seeing that he winked at her...

A little later, the workers finished placing the ornaments and left.

Nathaniel was excited. He looked at Belle and said the first things that came to his mind. "Thank you, Belle…"

"Huh?"

"For what you did yesterday…You wanted the workers to repair my first. Thank you."

"Oh…don't need to thank. You deserved to be repaired first. I saw how you suffered the night before because of the cold. It hurt me not to be able to do anything to help you…I wanted to have steam to hug you and give you a little warmth…"

Nathaniel thought his heart would get out through his funnel. He smiled with his eyes full of tenderness. "Did you really want to hug me, _precious_?"

Belle gulped on hearing that. "Y-yes…I did."

The two engines got lost in each other's gaze for some seconds. Belle's cheeks were red, making Nathaniel sighed of emotion. "Well…" said the EM-1, "when you have steam again…perhaps you would want to give me that hug…"

"O-okay…I'll hug you as soon as I have steam again."

"Oh, Belle…I'll look forward to that."

Belle's heart melted. She wanted to do everything possible to make Nathaniel know she was in love with him. She did not know that Nathaniel was doing the same…

"By the way," said Belle, "I've heard that you choose the light grey colour for your smokebox as a tribute to Austin. That's a very touching gesture…And as for the royal blue, I find it makes a perfect combination with the light grey. You'll look beautiful...very beautiful."

Now Nathaniel blushed. He was happy at that praise from Belle. He slowly slid his gaze over Belle's machine for a while, making her shiver. Then, he looked at her eyes again. "Usually..." he said, "…blue engines are very beautiful."

Belle blushed even more. "T-thanks."

"Huh? Why 'thanks'? I'm serious. Did they never tell you that you're beautiful and have an interesting design?"

"U-um…" Belle cleared her throat, "n-not really."

"They need a pair of glasses then."

"Hee! Hee! Hee! And…did they never tell you that you're the most…handsome engine in the world?"

"Ha! Ha!" Nathaniel laughed out loud. He did not expect such a declaration. Not even Caitlin had said that to him. "Um…to be honest…no."

"Well, it seems that everyone needs a pair of glasses."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, my goodness…Do you really think I'm that handsome?"

Belle looked deeply into Nathaniel's eyes. "I don't think that," she said softly, "I'm SURE of that."

"O-oh…"

The two engines were enjoying this conversation. It was the first time that they praised each other for their appearance, unlike the other times in which they only admired their heroic deeds.

Belle's hope that Nathaniel was in love with her was getting stronger, and she already imagined that he was the love she was waiting for. She thought that, at the moment she had steam again and could hug him, she would faint of joy. She decided that, after hugging Nathaniel, she would ask him to return the courtesy as soon as he could...

They continued conversing and blowing compliments to each other until late at night. Then, Belle was the first to fall asleep.

Nathaniel watched Belle while she slept, and his heart beat with love for her. _"My little Belle…"_ he thought, _"I never imagined I would feel so much happiness at someone's side…It seems as if I've always known you…I wonder...could it be you the blue butterfly I wanted to see since the day I was born? Are you the one whom my heart longed for?"_ Nathaniel sighed with emotion. He made a risky but firm decision. _"Oh, my little Belle, after you embrace me…I'll tell you what I feel for you…"_

Nathaniel was glad of his decision.

He prayed that his _blue butterfly_ would feel the same way about him, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

He did not know that he himself was already the answer to a prayer; the prayer made by his _mommy_ for Belle to meet the love of her life…


	9. Between Hugs and Kisses

Hello, my friends! As suggested by the title, this is one of the sweetest chapters of the fic. Nathaniel continues to have surprises and he lives incredible moments on his last day at the Steamworks.

Guest 4 and Australian Guest: I thank you both for your lovely comments. In this chapter, you'll find some powerful moments between Nathaniel and "the two women of his life." I hope you like them.

I want to dedicate this chapter to AaronCottrell97, whose birthday was a few days ago. Congratulations, my friend! :)

 **...**

* * *

 _"How beautiful and how sweet you are, O love, for delight."_ (Song of Songs 7:6)

* * *

 **CHAPTER IX**

 **BETWEEN HUGS AND KISSES**

* * *

 _"I feel completely redeemed…"_ -Nathaniel

* * *

This could have easily been Nathaniel and Belle's longest day at the Steamworks.

And the matter was not that they were bored, but all the opposite, they were very busy.

In reality, the ones that were very busy were the workers. One team was repairing Belle's cylinder, and another one was painting Nathaniel. The problem was that the two engines were so eager for the workers to finish their jobs that time seemed not to run.

Belle was dreaming awake. She was thinking of the hug she would give Nathaniel, the hug she would have liked to give him the night he could not sleep well because of the cold. And Nathaniel was thinking about the words he would use to tell Belle what he felt for her. They were really excited.

At one point, Nathaniel saw that Joseph smiled at him and raised his right thumb in approval for his new paintwork. Nathaniel returned the smile. _"I'll miss you, Joseph,"_ he thought, _"you were very good to me these days...Actually, everyone was, but you're special...At least I'll see you again at the Christmas Eve party and every time I return to the works."_

Towards the end of the afternoon, Belle's boiler was finally bubbling. But she trembled as if she was cold due to the emotion…The moment to embrace her giant friend was already near. She moved to the turntable, and then she approached the EM-1.

Nathaniel looked at Belle with affection as she stopped in front of him a few centimetres from his buffers.

"I came to fulfil my promise…" said Belle, hardly containing her emotion.

"I was waiting for this moment during the entire day," responded Nathaniel happily, "but before that, if you don't mind…could you get closer? I would like to know how these things work…I haven't tested them yet."

"Of course." Belle gulped. She did not know if Nathaniel really wanted to test his new buffers or it was just an excuse for her to get closer to him. Anyway, she was delighted with such a request and carefully moved forward until she fully pressed the EM-1's buffers. "This is how they work," she said, trying to sound normal.

"Wow…it's amazing…" Nathaniel wanted to test his buffers indeed, but now, what amazed him most was the fact of being with Belle like this, with their faces so close to each other…He could not avoid sliding his gaze towards Belle's lips, but he quickly looked at her in the eyes again. "You can fulfil your promise now…" he said, trying to sound normal as well, "but don't get away from me, please? It's beautiful to feel the beatings of your heart..."

"O-okay." Belle swallowed. Then, she let off steam and slowly moved it towards the EM-1.

Nathaniel could feel that Belle's heartbeats sped up while she trembled like a leaf in the wind. So, he tenderly whispered to her; "Don't be afraid…I'm your friend…"

Belle smiled shyly. She was not afraid, since there was not any malice in Nathaniel's voice nor in his gaze. It is just that the fact of being in love with him did not allow her to control her excitement.

Actually, the one who was a little scared was Nathaniel. He feared that excitement will betray him and lead him to commit another madness to regret. Fortunately, the memory of "that madness" made him behave like a true gentleman. On feeling Belle's embrace, he slowly closed his eyes as his lips curved in a slight smile. "Mmm…" he sighed of emotion, relaxing completely.

Belle could not believe what was happening. She stared at Nathaniel almost without breathing. She found that he looked like an angel enfolded in the steam that surrounded his smokebox and part of his boiler. She caressed him with tenderness and respect, while sliding her gaze over each centimetre of his face. And to make things even more pleasant, there was something else from Nathaniel that was driving Belle crazy; the fragrance of his new paintwork…that sweet aroma that locomotives loved so much…

Belle would have liked to spend the night like this, but she had been ordered to return to the Search and Rescue Centre as soon as she was repaired. So, in spite of herself, she slowly stopped embracing her friend.

Nathaniel opened his eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Belle," he said, "this was the sweetest and most delicate hug I've ever received…If you allow me, when I have steam again; I'll return the courtesy."

"Of course yes," Belle was touched, "in fact, I was about to ask you to do so…I also want a hug from you."

"I promise I'll do it…I'll give you a long, warm hug to show you how important you're to me."

"Oh…" Belle blushed, "that will be a heavenly moment…I'm so happy that your maintenance has finished, Nat…you're an impressive engine and you look beautiful with your new paintwork…I'm eager to see you in all your splendour puffing down the line and being able to be at your side at the Christmas Eve concert."

Nathaniel's eyes sparkled. "That will be a heavenly moment."

Belle giggled. And a few seconds passed while she and Nathaniel looked at each other's eyes. "Um…" said Belle afterward, "I must go now."

"No…please stay a little longer…just one minute…I want to say something to you…please?"

Belle could not resist such a request. "Of course…I can stay a little longer."

"Thank you." Nathaniel sighed with relief and tried to remember all the words he prepared to say. "Well…you know, when I got the announcement that I was saved from the scrapping; I promised the Lord that I would enjoy every day of my new life, and I did it so…The week I spent with Austin and his girlfriend; the moment I met my little princess Nathania; the moments in which I could say goodbye to those I loved; the blessed company of Sam during my journey; and of course, my encounter with Caitlin...all those moments were of great joy for me...But, I can say that the time I enjoyed the most…was this one that I spent at the Steamworks...and the reason is you..." Nathaniel swallowed and continued, "Since I met you, I began to feel something new in my heart...something that I never felt for anyone else...not even for my brothers or for Caitlin...It was something I couldn't explain..."

Belle was listening to Nathaniel without blinking. _"Tell me you're in love with me!"_ she screamed in her mind.

"I've thought a lot about that," continued the EM-1, "I even dared to ask Edward for advice…and...well...I've reached a conclusion, and I wanted you to know before you leave." Nathaniel swallowed again, "I'm in love with you, Belle…I-I really mean it…I'm in love with you…I wondered if you're the blue butterfly I wanted to see from the day I was born…and today, when you were in the hoist while they repaired your cylinder, I thought that Heaven gave me the answer…because you really seemed to be a butterfly floating in the air...and my feelings for you became stronger…" As Belle did not respond anything, Nathaniel got worried, "I hope this revelation hasn't bothered you…"

Belle wanted to respond, but she was literally mute due to the emotion. She had to swallow hard to unlock her vocal cords. "Nathaniel…" she whispered with a smile, "I also felt something new in my heart since I met you…and you know what? After the Valentine's Day concert that took place this year, I congratulated Caitlin on getting a touching dedicatory from Gordon…and I told her that I also wanted to fall in love with someone…She promised me that she would pray for me to find the love of my life…" Belle tried not to cry, "Now I can see you're the answer to her prayer…because I'm in love with you too…I say it from the bottom of my heart…I'm in love with you."

Nathaniel's breathing agitated. He could not believe what he heard. "D-did my mommy…pray for this to happen?"

Belle's chin trembled. "E-exactly…She's an angel."

Nathaniel's heart pounded wildly. His _mommy_ 's prayer was behind all this. He approached Belle until their faces were closer to each other. "So…" he said with a voice that could hardly be heard, "will you be…my girlfriend?"

"Y-yes," responded Belle without thinking twice. Then, she pressed her cheek against Nathaniel's and her eyes filled with tears of joy.

Nathaniel closed his eyes. "Oh, my Gosh…" he whispered, feeling Belle's soft skin against his own, "my little Belle…my blue butterfly…my precious…"

Belle smiled tearfully at those words. She was living the moment of her life, enjoying this tender contact with the EM-1 and perceiving even more the intoxicating fragrance of his new paintwork…"My sweet giant…" she said in a whisper, "my tender angel…"

Nathaniel's heart continued to beat wildly and he could barely control his breathing. He still did not finish assimilating what was happening. He thought that everything was too fast. But knowing that this was the result of a prayer made by Caitlin, he was sure that what there was between him and Belle was not something fleeting, but a love blessed from Heaven.

After a while, when Nathaniel could finally calmed down, he moved from Belle's cheek and looked lovingly at her. "You have no idea how happy you make me…" he said.

"I can say the same thing…" responded Belle, "I don't know how to describe how happy you make me."

Nathaniel smiled. Then, he gave his pretty girlfriend the most respectful of kisses; a kiss on the forehead…a slow, soft kiss…Belle blushed, making her cheekbones look even more attractive. Nathaniel was crazy to cover them in kisses, but he was determined to wait until the right moment. "You're so sweet, Belle…" said the EM-1, "and so beautiful…I have so many things to tell you in this moment, but I'm not going to force you to stay longer…I know you must return home…But I have an idea. Since there will no trains running on Christmas day, I'll ask Sir Norramby for permission to spend that day with you. I want to give you a warm Christmas…with hugs and kisses…Will you like it?"

"Oh, Nat…" Belle was excited, "I'll love it! That will be the most wonderful Christmas…I'm sure Sir Norramby will agree, because there are several couples of engines in love over here and they always get permission to be together on special dates."

"Oh…that encourages me to talk to him. I hope we can be somewhere in private…where only the Lord could see us."

"W-wow…If the Lord is with us, then we'll feel like Heaven…and our love will be in good hands…"

Nathaniel smiled widely. "Yes, my precious," he said, and he kissed Belle's forehead again. He already felt like Heaven. "Go home now," he asked afterward, "it's getting late and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Don't worry, my angel, I'll be careful." Belle looked tenderly at Nathaniel for a few seconds, and then, she gave him a kiss on his cheek…Nathaniel sighed deeply, "I love you," he whispered. "I love you too," responded Belle, filling her lungs once again with the fragrance of the paintwork…

Then, Belle moved from his beloved's cheek. "See you, Nat," she said, "have a good night."

"See you, my blue butterfly…Have sweet dreams."

Belle smiled. She pumped her pistons and moved to the turntable, and gave Nathaniel one last smile before leaving the works.

 _"Protect her, Lady,"_ Nathaniel begged. He would have liked to be able to accompany Belle, but he would have to wait until the next morning to leave the works, because the paintwork of his cab and his tender were not yet completely dry.

Nathaniel did not like the idea of Belle having to go home at this time of night. She had explained to him that the Search and Rescue Centre was four miles from Suddery, so he knew that a somewhat long journey awaited her. But he also knew that there was a good reason for Belle to leave now. According to the weather report, there would probably be another snowstorm during the night and Sir Topham Hatt wanted that all the Search and Rescue Centre's engines to be available for the case there was an emergency. Nathaniel just wanted Belle could arrive home safe and sound. Now that she was officially his girlfriend, his _protective instinct_ became stronger.

Once Belle left, Nathaniel closed his eyes and thanked Heaven for the love that had been born between them. He was still pleasantly surprised by how things had happened, and he remembered what Austin had said to him about the love of a couple:

 _"The day in which you put your cheek against your girlfriend's, you'll be able to know all what Jessica is for me."_

Nathaniel smiled at this memory. _"Now I know it, my brother,"_ he thought, _"now I know how beautiful is to have a girlfriend…and I'm eager to let you know about my Belle…She's the real blue butterfly I wanted to see…Oh, Austin…I hope that you and I could spend Christmas beside our girls-_ "

"A million dollars for those happy thoughts!"

A familiar voice made Nathaniel open his eyes widely. It was Caitlin, who was entering the works together with Gordon and Connor. Nathaniel was excited. "My angels!" he exclaimed, "what a nice surprise!"

"The nice surprise is to see you so splendid with that royal blue paintwork."

"Ha! Ha! Glad you like it, mommy, I decided to have a new color for my new life."

"And the blue was a very well choice," opined Gordon proudly.

"Thank you, Gordon!"

"Tell us how you feel, Nat," said Connor, "you had a huge smile on your face as we arrived."

"Oh, Connor…I can't describe how fine I feel! I had already forgotten what to get a good maintenance feels like. Now I no longer feel any pain or discomfort. It's like having been born again! Besides, the workers were very kind and understanding to me. And Victor is simply awesome. He may be small, but he has a presence that imposes authority and he knows his stuff. I'm very grateful to him and his team."

The three express engines looked at Nathaniel affectionately. They were grateful to see him so happy.

"By the way, Connor," continued the EM-1, "Austin and I did the same thing that you did with your brother; we exchanged our lamps."

"Wow…" Connor smiled, "then Austin's light will illuminate your way."

"You're right. It'll be as if he were at my side. And also," Nathaniel looked at Caitlin, "Washington and I exchanged our logos…I had the blessing to visit him before my journey to New York."

Caitlin stayed open-mouthed. "Is that my brother's logo?"

"Yes, and fortunately, they allowed me to maintain it. I had promised Washington that I would give it to you in case I couldn't use it here, so that you could place it somewhere you can see it."

"O-oh…" Caitlin was touched, "you're so attentive…I'm happy that a part of my brother's machine is here, and I love the idea to see it on your pilot instead of seeing it hanging on the wall of my shed. Thanks for this meaningful gesture from you."

"You're welcome, mommy."

Nathaniel told his friends a lot of things about the last days he spent in the USA, starting by the moment he learned that he was saved. His friends listened to everything with enthusiasm, especially the part where he met his _little sister_ , and they were touched by the way he said goodbye to those he loved. The express engines also got surprised on hearing that Mr. O'Mara slept on Nathaniel's pilot. They thought it was the sweetest thing that Mr. O'Mara had done to show his love for his engine.

Nathaniel also told about his adoptive brother Sam. His friends were glad to know that he had had a good company on his journey, but Connor could not help but feel a chill on remembering the meeting in which his controller agreed to buy the AG…

After a long, pleasant conversation, Nathaniel gave a special announcement. "Before you all leave," he said, "I want to tell you something very beautiful that has happened these days…Belle and I fell in love with each other."

"WOW!" exclaimed his friends, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you! Belle and I are immensely happy with this blessing. She said that someone prayed for her to find the love of her life…and the prayer was listened."

"Oh…" Caitlin smiled and swallowed not to cry. She would have never expected such an answer to her prayer. This was another heavenly Christmas surprise for her.

And for Gordon and Connor, it was a _quite comforting_ surprise. Both of them had been secretly concerned the few past days, because only after Nathaniel arrived on Sodor they became aware of what it meant having saved him. They began to reflect on the fact that he would live on the island from now on, and they feared that he could end up falling in love with Caitlin...They had not thought about that before, because the only important thing for them was Nathaniel to escape death. For an engine, there is nothing more rewarding than helping to save another engine from the scrapping, regardless of whether it is a steam or diesel one, friend or foe. That is the reason why only now they realized what they had done. But this announcement they had just heard from Nathaniel made all their worries disappear, especially Gordon's ones…

"This is a wonderful surprise, Nat," said Connor, "looks like Belle is the blue butterfly you always wanted to see."

"That's right, Connor, I precisely thought of that. I'm so happy that she's my girlfriend…I hope that Sir Norramby gives me permission to spend Christmas with her somewhere in private, although I think I'm not worthy to ask my owner for something like that, since I haven't even started working for him…"

"Don't worry, Nat," said Gordon with a warm smile, "you already know he's a kind person. Feel free to talk to him. There are several engines in love on the island and we have all obtained permission to spend Christmas with whom we love. I'm sure you'll also get it."

"Oh, Gordon…I hope you're right. That will be the best Christmas of my new life!"

Gordon and Connor smiled widely, while Caitlin's chin trembled. _"Mommy's cute baby is in love…"_ thought the P-7, _"what a blessing…"_

"I'm very happy for you and Belle," said Connor. "Glad to see that your maintenance has finished and you'll be able to enjoy the first Christmas of your new life surrounded by friends who love you…Well, I would like to stay longer, but I had to go now, because there's another engine I'm eager to see. Someone called Sam will arrive at Barrow at any time and I want to be there to welcome him."

"Wow!" Nathaniel was excited. "Connor…please…say hello to him for me, a-and tell him that I felt happy with the note he sent me and that I'm crazy to see him again!"

"Ha! Ha! I will, Nat, I'm going to tell him about you. Good night."

"Good night, Connor, and thanks for visiting me."

"My pleasure."

Connor left the works, and then, Gordon pumped his pistons. "I'm also going now, Nat," he said, "I assume that you and Caitlin have many things to say after so much time of being far from each other."

Nathaniel raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to leave us…in private?"

"Yes. A mother and her baby deserve their space, don't they?"

Nathaniel stayed open-mouthed, "Gordon…you're amazing…thank you, my friend."

"You're welcome, Nat. See you tomorrow."

"See you, Gordon."

The blue engine began to move back. He smiled at his girlfriend and gave a wink to her. Caitlin returned the smile and blew a kiss to him.

After Gordon left, Caitlin approached Nathaniel and stopped just one metre away from his buffers.

"Mommy…" said the EM-1 tenderly, "I still can't believe that we've seen each other again..."

"Me neither," responded Caitlin, "in fact, each day I asked Joseph if you were still here or if I was just dreaming."

"Oh...I'm sorry...I wanted my maintenance to end before I received your visit, because I wouldn't have felt so comfortable to talk while being disassembled."

"Don't need to apologise, I understand it." Caitlin looked sweetly at her _baby_. "I'm still dizzy with happiness because of our reencounter…Connor and Gordon told me how Sir Norramby ended up buying you…It's an incredible story…I had not even suspected that they were going through a difficult time...They managed to hide their sadness in front of me while waiting for the moment to tell me the bad news...But in the end, they had to struggle to hide their happiness not to ruin my Christmas surprise."

Nathaniel smiled. "They're real angels…I was amazed when Mr. O'Mara told me what they had done for me…and I couldn't believe that they wanted my arrival to be a Christmas surprise for you. I don't know what I did to deserve such an honor."

"You made a good impression on them, Nathaniel…Those videos you sent me made them open up their hearts to you, because they could understand what our relationship was like and how tender you are…That's the reason."

"Wow…" Nathaniel was glad to hear that. Connor and Gordon also made a good impression on him and he was happy that they accepted him as a friend. It was comforting for him to know that Caitlin was so loved by them. But there was something regarding Gordon that concerned him, and this was the right moment to talk about it...

"I'm grateful to them for being so good to me," continued Nathaniel. "Now…there's something that made me a little worried…and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Oh…what is it?"

"Well…you know; several engines arrived here these days. Some of them needed repairing and other came only to meet me. Everyone was kind and I felt at ease with them…But…some of them told me certain things that made me feel uncomfortable…" Nathaniel got ashamed, but he continued; "they said…things not so pleasant about Gordon…although I refused to believe them…"

 _"Oh no,"_ thought Caitlin. Only now she remembered that Nathaniel still did not know those certain things _not so pleasant_ about Gordon...She quickly thought of an answer while begging Lady's help. "Nathaniel…" she said, "it's good that you have touched on this issue, since it's something that sooner or later you would end up knowing…" Caitlin swallowed, "I already imagine what things they told you about Gordon, so I understand your worry. But I can assure you that many of those things are things of the past…Gordon certainly has his flaws, but I love him despite them, because he also has an enormous heart…a heart that only needs a little help to put aside the pride and bad moods…and I'm grateful to Heaven for choosing me to be that help he needed...Since he and I fell in love with each other, I could notice how he changed considerably. Had this not been the case," Caitlin's voice broke, "he would've never forgiven you so easily." She closed her eyes and cried.

Nathaniel was speechless. He wanted to be able to approach his cheek to Caitlin's to comfort her, but he thought he was not worthy to do so. So he accompanied her in silence while reflecting on what she had just said. He was surprised that the things they told him about Gordon were true, but he was not surprised that Caitlin's love made him change so much…

Soon, Caitlin stopped crying and smiled between her tears. "You don't need to worry, Nathaniel," she said, "the next time you hear those things about Gordon, just remember that he truly loves me and will do anything to make me happy…After all, he's the answer to your prayer."

Nathaniel swallowed. "Caitlin…I believe all what you've said…I trust you more than the others. I want you to know that I didn't judge Gordon for what they told me, because I'm nobody to judge him. The fact that he has forgiven me and begged for my life is enough for me to see how big his heart is...What worries me is the fact that I could do something that bothers him...I don't want him to get angry with me. I want him and me to get along well..."

Caitlin's eyes filled with sweetness. "Easy…you two will get along perfectly well."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust mommy."

Nathaniel giggled. "Okay…I fully trust you."

Nathaniel was pleased to have had the courage to talk to Caitlin about this _burning issue_ , and now he was calmed with regard to Gordon. The only thing that bothered him to the point of wanting to judge Gordon was the fact that he used to be rude to Edward...But he trusted Caitlin's words; _"many of those things are things of the past."_ He just hoped that being rude to Edward was one of those things.

"Well," said Caitlin later, "since we speak of answers to prayers; let me say that it makes me shiver of emotion that mommy's cute baby was chosen to be Belle's boyfriend."

"Hee! Hee! Oh, mommy, I'm still trying to assimilate this situation…Seeing Austin and Jessica so happy together made me want to fall in love too, but I never thought it would happen so fast...Austin and Jessica took months to notice that what there was between them was the truly love of a couple, so I was quite surprised by what happened to Belle and I. But when Belle told me about your prayer, I realized that ours was not something temporary but a love that came from Heaven...Then, Heaven itself will help us so that this new-born love of ours grows and becomes strong."

Caitlin was impressed with those words. She noticed that Nathaniel had matured in these years.

"Belle is so sweet and innocent…" continued Nathaniel with a smile, "she immediately accepted as I asked her to be my girlfriend...and then she approached her cheek to mine and cried...I could barely breath and thought my heart would explode...Then, she gave me a long kiss on my cheek...That was wonderful...Oh, and she had also given me a hug…a very delicate hug...I can't wait to be able to embrace her as well...I want to enfold her with my affection...I'm so happy to be her boyfriend."

Caitlin's heart melted while she was hearing all that. "So?" she said, looking at her _baby_ with love, "Did you give her…an exclusive kiss?"

Nathaniel's smile faded. "N-no...I would've liked to do so, but I only gave her a kiss on her forehead...I was afraid to make a mistake...I..." the EM-1 looked down, "I learned my lesson."

What happened next was something Nathaniel would have never expected; Caitlin closed the distance between them and softly pressed her cheek against his own…"Don't be afraid, my baby…" Caitlin whispered, "as you said, this love came from heaven...so there won't be any mistake...You love Belle and she loves you...There's nothing to fear...Give Belle all the tenderness that there is in your heart…You two will have a heavenly Christmas together, marking the beginning of a beautiful life as a couple..."

Nathaniel felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to get rid of it, but he failed abysmally. His chin trembled and he began to shed tears…Caitlin felt a great fondness for him on noticing that he was crying. "I love you, my baby…" she said, "I love you…" Then, she gave him a maternal kiss on his cheek…Nathaniel cried even more…So, Caitlin continued to whisper tender words to him, while both kept being cheek to cheek…

The day Nathaniel was born at Baldwin Locomotive Works; Caitlin was there near him, marking the beginning of a beautiful mother-baby relationship. And now, after he was born to a new life at Sodor Steamworks, Caitlin was with him again. And, as every new-born who cries against his/her mother's skin; Nathaniel shed tears against Caitlin's cheek…This birth was undoubtedly more exciting than the previous one.

Slowly, Nathaniel stopped crying. He had thought that getting a hug and kiss from Belle was the best thing that happened to him today, but this sweet contact with Caitlin was indisputably the cherry on top of the cake. The kiss that Caitlin gave him a moment ago; was that kiss she could not give him the day they said goodbye...Nathaniel felt that only now he was completely redeemed. "I love you too, mommy…" he whispered, "you're my angel…I love you…Thank you for your words of encouragement…and for giving me this blessed moment…And thanks again for having forgiven me…You have no idea how much peace I feel in my soul…Thank you, mommy."

Caitlin smiled. "You're welcome, my baby…I'm also feeling much peace in my soul…I have no words to thank Heaven for allowing us to reunite again and have this blessed moment…I'm very happy that your years of suffering have ended...Now you'll enjoy life again..."

Nathaniel was living an incredible moment, feeling very comfortable between Caitlin's voice and skin. In fact, he was so comfortable that sleep began to seize him...Even Caitlin could notice that he was relaxing...But Nathaniel did not want to sleep yet. He still had something to do. "Mommy…" he called in a low voice.

"Yes?"

"Um…Washington asked me to tell you that he loves you, and…he wanted me to give you a kiss on your cheek from him…Can I?"

Caitlin moved from Nathaniel's cheek. "Of course you can," she responded.

"Okay." Nathaniel smiled shyly. Then, feeling a little nervous, he gave his _mommy_ a kiss...He thought he was dreaming…

"Mmm…" sighed Caitlin, "what a sweet _big brother_ I have..."

"Hee! Hee!" Nathaniel giggled, which made his nervousness disappear. "Thanks for allowing me to do this, mommy…You know what? I wanted to erase that horrible kiss of betrayal from my lips…"

"Oh, my baby…" Caitlin looked tenderly into Nathaniel's eyes, "in that case, you must give me another kiss, because the one you gave me right now was from Washington."

"O-oh…" Nathaniel blushed at Caitlin's clarification. He thought she could not be nicer. "Well…so…this is from me," he said. And then, he gave Caitlin another kiss…slower and deeper than the previous one...but just as respectful…

"Your lips are now pure again," whispered Caitlin. Nathaniel moved from her cheek and smiled widely. "Thank you, Caitlin…I feel completely redeemed…This moment in private with you was a gift from Heaven. I can't ask for more."

"Aww..." Caitlin smiled, "you're so cute...But I have something else for you. I still didn't tell you the major reason why I wanted to be with you in private."

"Oh...which one is it?"

"Well, since you're my baby…I wanted to take you in my arms and sing to put you to sleep."

Nathaniel gulped. "S-seriously? D-do I deserve such a blessing?"

"In reality, I'll be the blessed one…"

"Oh, my Gosh…" Nathaniel still thought he was dreaming. Caitlin had never put him to sleep…This was truly a night full of heavenly gifts. "Take me in your arms, mommy…" he whispered innocently, with his voice threatening to break, "take me in your arms…I'm too sleepy…"

Caitlin's heart kept melting. She pressed her cheek against Nathaniel's again and enfolded him with her steam. "Relax, my baby…" she said, "I'll sing a carol for you until you fall sleep…Goodnight, my cute baby."

"G-goodnight, mommy."

Then, Caitlin began to sing _'Silent Night'_ …softly and slowly.

Nathaniel almost fainted…He thought that Heaven was exaggerating by sending him so many blessings in a single day…Caitlin's angelic voice was like a caress that ran through his soul filling it with peace…He was so _dizzy with happiness_ that he did not want this moment to end…He imagined that Lady also sang to his brothers at the Railway of the Clouds to put them to sleep...He imagined that his _little sister_ Nathania also slept with a lullaby from her fortunate parents…These thoughts made him even happier while he enjoyed the beautiful carol that his _mommy_ was singing...and soon, some tears escaped his eyes on remembering that he also sang to put his brothers to sleep in their last moments...But they were not tears of sadness, but of satisfaction. Nathaniel could even swear that he felt the presence of his brothers through Caitlin's embrace...

As for Caitlin, she was also living a moment to treasure. The day in which Emily told her that she had sung a lullaby for Thomas to sleep; Caitlin regretted that it had never occurred to her to do that with Nathaniel. But since the miracle of Nathaniel's arrival at Sodor happened; that idea did not stop rolling around in her mind. And she could not have chosen a better lullaby for this occasion than the world's most famous carol…She sang with all her motherly love; " _Sleep in heavenly peace…Sleep in heavenly peace…"_ and she noticed that her _baby_ 's breathing was getting deeper and deeper… _"Silent night…Holy night…"_ she continued.

Nathaniel was about to fall asleep. _"Thank you, Lord…"_ he thought while Caitlin's voice sounded farther and farther… _"Son of God, love's pure light…"_ was the last line he could hear from his _mommy_. Then, he slept soundly.

Caitlin noticed Nathaniel's deep breathing and the calm beats of his heart, and she stopped singing. _"Sweet dreams, my baby,"_ she thought, and she continued to enjoy this blessed moment a little longer. Having her _baby_ asleep in her arms was the best prize that her motherly love could have ever gotten. And, as she had taken her share of the blame for Nathaniel's suffering, she also felt completely redeemed at this time.

A few minutes later, Caitlin moved from Nathaniel's soft cheek. She smiled on seeing how lovely he looked. Then, she slowly separated from his buffers in order not to wake him up. But before leaving, she caressed the logo of Washington that shone brightly on Nathaniel's pilot. _"I love you, my brother,"_ she thought, _"…God bless you."_ Then, Caitlin went out of the works as silently as she could.

And Nathaniel, after having spent the last hours between hugs and kisses, was really sleeping _in heavenly peace_.

The best Christmas of his life was just beginning.

He would have another pleasant surprise at dawn…

* * *

Shortly after Caitlin arrived at the sheds in Barrow, she and Connor felt that the tracks trembled as if a very heavy engine were approaching. They looked towards the line with emotion; thinking that perhaps it was the locomotive they were eager to meet.

And they were right. It was Sam, who now wore a beautiful Persian green livery...

The stunning Blue Ridge AG moved majestically towards the sheds, emerging from a gigantic cloud of steam. He stopped on the turntable and greeted the two streamlined engines with a warm smile on his face. "Howdy! You must be Connor and Caitlin. I'm Sam."

"Hello, Sam!" responded Connor, "You're right about our names."

"Welcome home, compatriot," said Caitlin. "We were waiting for you."

"Oh…thank you! I should've arrived here an hour earlier, but I came slowly because I still didn't know these tracks."

"Glad to hear that, Sam," said Connor, "I thought you've had some problem and got worried about you. By the way, enter the shed. It's cold there."

"Okay." Sam smiled at his kind new friend and turned around on the turntable. Then, he entered his berth and relaxed his wheels. "Wow..." he said, excited, "this is living...I still can't believe I was rescued from the scrap."

"We're very happy that you were saved, Sam," affirmed Connor, "I really mean that."

"And we were eager to meet you," added Caitlin. "Someone told us about you enthusiastically. I think you already know who it is."

"Ha! Ha! I'm almost sure it's the same one who told me about you two from New York up to Liverpool."

The three engines laughed.

Sam already felt at ease with his two compatriots. Connor and Caitlin told him about his meeting with Nathaniel the day he arrived on Sodor, and also about the visit they made to him this evening. Sam was overflowing with joy on hearing so many beautiful things. But when Caitlin joyfully told about how she had put Nathaniel to sleep, Sam remembered something that made him feel bad.

"I'm happy that my little brother Nat is enjoying his new life so much," said Sam. He looked at Caitlin and continued. "It impresses me how sweet the affection between him and you is, Caitlin. Let me tell you something…I came to know that our controller wanted to save Nathaniel, but his colleagues ended up convincing him to buy me instead...and I've also known that Connor and your boyfriend went through a difficult time because of that…So, I'm infinitely grateful to Heaven for having saved Nathaniel and bringing him near you after all. If I had seen you crying because of his scrapping, I would've felt terribly guilty...I wouldn't have endured such a situation."

Caitlin smiled at the AG with sympathy. "Sam…I can't deny that I would've cried my eyes out in case Nathaniel had been scrapped, but I would've never blamed you for that. Humans built us and they decide what to do with us. So, I wouldn't have blamed you...and I know that Nathaniel wouldn't have done so either."

Sam looked at the P-7 sweetly. "I can see that our Nathaniel didn't exaggerate on saying that you're an angel…Now I feel better."

Caitlin and Sam smiled at each other.

And Connor also had something to tell at this moment. "Sam," he said, "since we are on the subject, I want to confess something to you."

"Go ahead, my friend."

"Well...um...when I heard that the engineers convinced our controller to buy you instead of Nathaniel I got very angry, and even without knowing you, I began to feel anger for you…I thought I wouldn't manage to get along with you at all…But I realized that I was an idiot for thinking so, because in reality you're guilty of nothing, and besides, Heaven already had a plan to save Nathaniel…So I wanted to ask you for forgiveness for having felt anger for you...I'm also infinitely grateful to Heaven for saving you, and I promise I'll be a good friend for you. Please forgive me…"

Sam's eyes were full of affection. "It's all right, Connor," he soothed, "I understand you...I would've reacted in the same way…Don't feel bad anymore. I'll also be a good friend for you."

The engines were happy. Without a doubt, they would get along perfectly well.

The conversation between the three friends was pleasant, but they decided to interrupt it because it was almost midnight and their eyelids felt heavy like stones...So they said goodnight and did not take so long to fall asleep.

And a little later, as the weather report had warned, it began to snow.


	10. The Angel of the Rails

Hello my dears! After the lovely moments with his girlfriend and his mommy, it's time for Nathaniel to know who the heir to the throne of Mr. O'Mara is. I hope you like Joseph. :)

The guest _eliot reader_ asked me to describe what Nathaniel's face is like and I think the best way to do this is through an image. But as FF doesn't allow to place links to other websites or select texts within the fics; I've left a comment of mine in the reviews window with some "camouflaged links" that you can copy. Take a look at it.

Guest: Thank you!

Guest 4: I'm glad that you liked the angelic moments, my friend. I dedicate this chapter to you. I know you've waited a long time to see "a certain phrase..." :D

kbear100: There will be more moments between Nat and Belle. Just wait and see. :)

eliot reader: Thank you for the comment! :)

Australian Guest: I'm glad to know that the chapter reminded you of those sweet moments with your husband! :D

Well, Christmas is just around the corner, and my race against the clock is giving me headaches. But I'll do everything possible or impossible to release Chapter XI in time.

See you, my friends!

...

* * *

 _"While aesthetics usually matter little in over-the-road freight steamers, it is said that the B &O's EM-1 class was perhaps the most beautiful Yellowstone with a somewhat streamlined tender and centered headlight." __-_ Adam Burns

...

 _"Well, I must say, they have everything!"_ \- B&O's president, Roy B. White, about the EM-1s.

* * *

 **CHAPTER X**

 **THE ANGEL OF THE RAILS**

* * *

 _"How not to love you with all my heart?"_ -Nathaniel

* * *

This is what is called the best feeling in the world.

The fire burning on the firebox, the water bubbling in the boiler, a slight cloud of steam caressing the wheels...Nothing else a steam locomotive can ask for to wake up with joy.

And that's how Nathaniel woke up on this cold December 23th morning.

Nathaniel was enjoying the pleasant feeling of warmth while getting ready for his first day of work on Sodor. He breathed deeply and smiled, remembering the moments he have had the previous night with Belle and Caitlin. _"My blue butterfly and my mommy..."_ he thought, " _my precious gifts...you two made me sleep like a baby last night..."_

"What a happy face…"

Nathaniel giggled on hearing that. He opened his eyes and looked at the young man who was sitting on his pilot. "This is living, Joseph," he said, "this is living…Being able to wake up like this again is simply wonderful."

Joseph smiled with satisfaction.

Today, Joseph McAllen had arrived at the Steamworks early in the morning, unlike the previous days in which he used to come after midday. So, Nathaniel had one more reason to wake up with joy. He really wanted to see "the special worker" once more before leaving the works. But it caught his attention that Joseph was not wearing an overalls but a suit similar to that of train drivers…

Soon, Nathaniel saw that Victor was pushing a flatbed on the track near him. The flatbed was full of rusty metal parts that had to be taken to Wellsworth Scrap Yard. Nathaniel thought he recognized one of those things in particular. "Is that my former front coupler, Joseph?" he asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Wow...It's a pity it didn't occur to me to give it to Austin…I had been joined to our brothers in their last hours through that part…"

Joseph gulped. He still shivered every time the EM-1 talked about this subject. He looked towards the flatbed and became thoughtful for a moment. "I understand why it was so important to you…" he said, "…I'll talk to Gabriel to send it to Mr. O'Mara."

Nathaniel gasped. "N-no…you don't need to do that."

"Why not? If that will make you happy, I will do it for you."

"O-oh…I-I thank you for being so kind, Joseph, but…that costs money."

Joseph smiled. "And? The money that is spent for a friend's happiness is not money lost, but a well invested one. So don't worry. Gabriel and I'll take care of that."

Nathaniel stayed open-mouthed. He was certainly delighted with the idea of sending his coupler to Austin, since it would be very meaningful for his brother, but he felt a little embarrassed that Joseph and Gabriel spend money for him. So he wanted to keep insisting that it was not necessary to do it, but before he could reply anything, Joseph asked a worker to remove the coupler from the flatbed and put it somewhere safe 'until further notice.'

"Well, Nat," said the young man, "your coupler will return to the USA."

Nathaniel smiled widely. "You're impressive, Joseph…Thank you."

"You're welcome, boy. You already suffered a lot, just like all the steam locomotives in the world. These are so terrible times for you all…I would've liked that steamers and diesels can work side by side until the end of the world."

"That would've been great indeed…But I'm grateful that several of us have been saved from the scrap and that a paradise like Sodor exists. We must accept the fact that diesels are better than us."

"Hey…what do you mean by 'better'?"

"Well, they're much more efficient compare to us, aren't they?"

"Oh! You can't compare two things that are as different as the black and the white, Nat. Steam engine is an external combustion engine, while diesel is an internal combustion engine. The first moves with steam and the second one with electricity. How can you compare that?"

Nathaniel did not know what to respond. He was not an expert in railway engineering.

"The steam engine is one of the greatest inventions of History," continued Joseph, "and the steam locomotive is undoubtedly the most attractive and impressive of all. We can say that the diesel locomotive takes better advantage of the energy produced, needs little maintenance and is easy to drive. But come on, to move silently with electricity is not art! That's too easy. However, you steamers must fight to move each wheel in the middle of a sensual concert of sounds and a plume of steam that rises up to the clouds...That's art…I'll tell you something, Nat, I'm pretty sure that with you steam locomotives the same thing that happened with coal underground will happen; whit the passage of time…you will turn into diamonds…You will be so priceless diamonds that people will defend you with tooth and nail…and the scrapping will be a thing of the past."

Nathaniel remained silent for a few seconds whit a huge smile on his face. Then, he pronounced the only words that occurred to him at such a pleasant speech; "I like you a lot."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Glad to hear that, because we'll see each other very often from now on."

"Really?"

"Yes…" Joseph paused, and then, he gave a great announcement, "…I'm your new driver."

Nathaniel's jaw dropped. "A-are you kidding me?"

"Of course not," Joseph took his ID card, "look at this." Under his name it said "Driver", and a little lower; "B&O EM-1 #7629."

"Oh, my goodness..." Nathaniel's heart pounded, "…this is another heavenly surprise! Joseph...welcome to my cab!"

"Thank you, boy!" Joseph could not be happier with his engine's reaction. "I wanted us to become friends before telling you the news, because I wanted you to feel at ease with me first."

"Ha! Ha! I already felt at ease with you from the day we meet, Joseph. You were so good to me these days…You helped me endure the procedures that made me uncomfortable…I'm really glad you're my new driver. You have a warm place in my heart."

"Oh, Nat…" Joseph was touched, "you also have a warm place in my heart. I had already begun to feel affection for you the day in which I saw a photo of yours at Gabriel's house, and I was sad to know that you would probably be scrapped…But when I knew that you were bought by Sir Norramby and that he chosen me to be your driver; I almost exploded with joy."

Nathaniel smiled. "You're so kind, Joseph…and I'm grateful surprised with you. I thought you were a worker here at the Steamworks."

"No, I just came here during your maintenance to learn everything about your machine."

"Wow…I can see I'm in good hands. I'm not so difficult to operate, by the way."

"I could notice that. In fact, I've talked to Mr. O'Mara on the phone before your journey to New York and he told me many things about you. That conversation helped me a lot."

Nathaniel opened his eyes widely. "Have you talked with Mr. O'Mara?!"

"Yes, I did. It was-"

The works shivered with the noise of a powerful thunder. Joseph covered his ears with his hands; Kevin dropped a load of paint cans onto the floor; Victor screamed "Calderas Hirvientes!" and all the workers got scared.

Nathaniel had blown his whistle.

It was the first time he did it on Sodor.

"That was astonishing!" exclaimed Joseph.

"I-I'm sorry…" Nathaniel was panting due to the emotion, "I-I couldn't avoid it…"

"No, seriously, I loved it! Do it again, please?"

"Ha! Ha! Okay!" Nathaniel gladly obeyed.

"WOOOOOOOO!" responded Joseph.

The two friends laughed out loud. They were already having fun together.

"Phew!" exclaimed Nathaniel after the scandal, "So, Mr. O'Mara already knew you before my journey…"

"Yes, but I asked him to keep the secret because I wanted to give you the news myself. I had an exciting conversation with him. He told me about how your machine works and I told him how I came to hear about you. He said he was happy to meet me."

"Wow…I'm glad to hear that, Joseph. I was eager to let him know that I have a pianist driver but I see it already happened."

"Ha! Ha! I promised him precisely that I'll try to be as good a driver as a musician. And speaking of music, he told me that you like to sing carols…"

"Yes, I do. I love carols, and my favorite is _'O Holy Night'_ , because I used to sing it with Caitlin near a big Christmas tree in Cumberland."

"Oh…" Joseph's eyes sparkled, "and would you like to sing it tomorrow at the concert while the lights of the Christmas tree are turning on?"

Nathaniel gasped. "M-me? To sing…accompanied by the piano?"

"Exactly, and by the harps as well. What do you say, Nat? Everyone will be amazed to hear a locomotive sing, especially Caitlin…"

Such a proposal took Nathaniel by surprise. To sing his beloved carol again at Christmas was something he had already in mind since he was saved from death, but he did not imagined singing it at a concert...and near Caitlin...He hesitated for a moment, without knowing what to say. At first he thought he would be embarrassed in front of the public and could not sing. But then, he remembered that Gabriel had talked about filming the event and sending the videotape to Mr. O'Mara…That gave him encouragement to try it; because he noticed that it would be a wonderful way to show Mr. O'Mara and Austin how happy he was and how well he was getting along with his new driver.

"I never sang at a concert, Joseph…" he said, "but…I-I would like to do it…I'll feel honored to sing in the presence of Caitlin."

"Great!"

"But…do you think the event organisers will agree that a locomotive sings?"

Joseph smiled. "Gabriel and I are the event organisers…"

"Oh…Ha! Ha! It is decided then. But I assume we'll practice a little, won't we?"

"Of course, we will. As we arrived at Vicarstown Station, we'll practice with the piano."

"Okay." Nathaniel was excited. "Can we go already?"

"Yes," Joseph stood up and put his elegant driver hat with the insignia of the Estate Railway, "it's time to start working. Oh, and by the way, if you feel some shake…you'll know it was my fault."

The EM-1 smiled tenderly. "Don't worry, Joseph. I'll ignore any mistake of yours."

"Wow…thank you, Nat." Joseph came down from his engine's pilot. "It's very cold," he said before going to the cab, "so I must take precautions not to catch the flu or something li-" Joseph was interrupted by Nathaniel's guffaw. "What?" he asked, but his engine kept laughing. "What's going on?" he insisted and looked to and fro in order to find the reason for such a laughing fit. That only made Nathaniel laugh even more…Some workers approached to see what was happening and laughed as well. But Joseph pretended he did not understand anything…

"You're funny!" exclaimed Nathaniel at last, "You placed a Christmas garland around your neck!"

"Oh...Well, the thing is that I was in a hurry to get out of my home this morning, but as I didn't find my scarf, I took the first thing that dared to appear in my field of vision." Joseph adopted the classical pose of Sir Topham Hatt and added; "How do I look?"

Nathaniel burst into laughter again. And this time, his funny driver laughed with him. Victor had already told him that Joseph used to do "strange things" sometimes.

Once Joseph got in the cab, Victor approached Nathaniel. "Good luck on your first day of work, Nat," he said.

"Thank you, Victor. And thank you for the enormous patience you had with me these days. You're amazing. I really thank you."

"You're welcome, my friend. I'm here to serve you."

Nathaniel looked fondly at the little Cuban engine. Then, he pumped his pistons and, trembling with emotion, he slowly began to move forward. _"This is a historical moment…"_ he thought, _"…this is living!"_ And, when passing through the door, his heart pounded on seeing how many engines were waiting outside to see him. Gordon, Edward and Rosie were among them. Gabriel was near Rosie, filming this emotional event. And his father Charlie Sand smiled proudly from Edward's cab, since he was Joseph's mentor.

Nathaniel smiled widely at the camera and blew his whistle powerfully. All the engines blew theirs in response. Everyone was happy to see the giant EM-1 leaving the works majestically. Joseph waved at the camera smiling from ear to ear and shaking his garland…

Nathaniel crossed the transfer table and was ready to start working. It had snowed during the night, so his job would be to help his friends clean the tracks.

* * *

Later in the morning, at the Search and Rescue Centre, Belle received a pleasant visit. "Hello Caitlin!" exclaimed the blue engine, "What a beautiful surprise!"

"Hello Belle! I was eager to congratulate the sweet 'Girlfriend of the Year.'"

"O-oh…thank you, my friend! But, how did you know it so soon?"

"I went to the Steamworks with Gordon and Connor last night to visit Nathaniel, and he told us the good news. I felt my heart melting on seeing my baby so happy to have fallen in love with you."

"Oh, Caitlin…so, you already know that your baby is the answer to your prayer. I'm very grateful to you for having prayed for me. We've seen each other so rarely that I never thought you would become someone so important in my life…Now I feel that you and I are connected through Nathaniel. You have no idea how happy that makes me. You're an angel, my friend…and Nathaniel is much better than I ever dreamed. He's so brave and tender…and he makes me feel so secure…He's the angel of the rails."

"Aww…I thank Heaven for making Nathaniel the answer to my prayer, Belle, I'm so happy for you two! You also became someone very important in my life. I'm still impressed by how things happened…I would've never expected I would see my baby again…Yesterday at the works, I was delighted to see him so beautiful with his new paintwork, and as handsome as always! Besides, I had the opportunity to show him my motherly love in a wonderful way...I took him in my arms and sang a carol against his cheek to put him to sleep...It was an unforgettable experience."

Belle opened her eyes widely. "W-wooow…that's so sweet, Caitlin! I'm happy that you have had such an opportunity! I'm sure our Nathaniel slept like a baby in his mother's arms…Oh, and I'm sure you were also delighted with the fragrance of his paintwork…"

"How did you guess?"

The two girls giggled.

"I would also like to be able to sing against his cheek this Christmas," said Belle, "I hope that they allow us to spend Christmas together somewhere in private...as Nathaniel said; _'where only the Lord could see us'_...It would be so wonderful to have our first kiss precisely at the Lord's birthday..."

Caitlin's heart vibrated. "Don't worry, Belle," she responded, "you two will have your first kiss at the Lord's birthday."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I talked with Sir Norramby after leaving my passengers at Ulfstead this morning. He was amazed to know that you and Nathaniel are in love. So I asked him to let Nathaniel spend Christmas with you somewhere in private…He loved the idea and said he will talk to Sir Topham Hatt about it."

Belle gasped. "D-did you really do that for us?"

"Yes…It's my little Christmas gift for you and your angel of the rails. I know that Nathaniel was going to talk to Sir Norramby about it, but I was so excited that couldn't help doing it instead. I wanted to be sure that my baby and his blue butterfly would have a heavenly Christmas."

"O-oh…" Belle swallowed, "Caitlin…t-that's so nice of you…W-what can I do to show you my gratitude?"

Caitlin smiled sweetly. "Knowing that Nathaniel is in good hands is enough for me...I give you my baby in all confidence, Belle...make him very happy…Give him the most delicate hugs and the most delicious kisses, and whisper to him the sweetest words that are born in your heart…You can be sure that he'll enfold you with all his tenderness, and you'll feel like Heaven..."

Belle's chin trembled and she began to shed tears. "I-I promise I'll take good care of your baby…" she whispered and swallowed hard to continue, "Thank you again…for having prayed for me…"

Caitlin moved forward and touched Belle's nose with hers. "You're welcome, my sweet Belle..." she responded, "…it was one of the best prayers I did in my life."

Belle smiled tearfully.

Caitlin was really happy that the beautiful fire engine was chosen to be Nathaniel's girlfriend.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nathaniel was having an exciting day. His friends took turns to accompany him on his rides through the island, and he enjoyed seeing how beautiful the stations looked with the Christmas decorations. Everyone was impressed that he did not need a snowplough to clean the tracks, but only used his cowcatcher. He moved gracefully on the tracks, almost melting the snow in his path and always being in communication with Joseph. These first rides were key to establishing the bond between him and his new driver.

One of the best moments for Nathaniel was when he visited the Search and Rescue Centre and could see his blue butterfly again, in addition to meeting the rest of the rescue team. Belle was impressed to see "the angel of the rails" in all his splendour. This was the first time she saw him joined to his tender, so only now she could appreciate how long he was. The other engines stayed open-mouthed on meeting Belle's giant boyfriend, and everybody laughed when Rocky said that he would need the help from "at least three more cranes" to lift the EM-1 in case he suffers a derailment. Nathaniel was happy with these new friends, and before leaving, he wanted to fulfil his promise to hug Belle. But then, Belle told him about the little Christmas gift from Caitlin and suggested to him to wait until they were in private to do it. Nathaniel almost cried on knowing such a gift, and he totally agreed with Belle's idea. In fact, he also preferred to be in private with her to enfold her in his embrace.

After leaving the Search and Rescue Centre, Nathaniel had other exciting moments by climbing Gordon's Hill and reaching Wellsworth, the place of his reencounter with Caitlin.

In the afternoon, it was time to go to Vicarstown Station.

On the way, before reaching Henry's Tunnel, Nathaniel met up with Paxton, who was coming from Great Waterton. Paxton invited him to visit the Dieselworks, and they had an amusing ride to there. Nathaniel laughed heartily at the funny faces that Paxton made every time a snowflake fell on his nose. This reminded him of another diesel who also played the clown to make him laugh. _"Well,"_ thought Nathaniel, _"besides a 'little Austin', I also have a 'little Bernard' over here..."_

Once at the Dieselworks, Nathaniel met the engines that were there and talked with them for a while. He remembered what Austin had said to him about the diesels; _'give them a place in your heart,'_ and that was exactly what he did. He looked fondly at each engine, especially Dart, the smallest of them. He had definitively buried the rancour he had once felt against the diesels.

Later, Nathaniel arrived at Vicarstown Station. A grand piano, which had been brought from Tidmouth Town Hall, was placed on the Platform 1. Joseph approached the piano and began to practice _'O Holy Night'_ with Nathaniel. They spent a very nice moment singing together and could not wait to surprise everyone at the Christmas concert. Nathaniel already imagined what Caitlin would feel on hearing their favourite carol.

And after the musical moment, the time had come to go home.

Nathaniel enjoyed climbing the hill to Ulfstead, and he arrived at the station very excited. There, he was received by Sir Robert Norramby. "Welcome home, Nat!" said Sir Norramby, "I've known that you made a good job helping clean the tracks and I'm very proud of you!"

"Thank you, sir! It's a pleasure to be useful, and I'm happy to know my new home. This place means a lot to me, sir, because it was here that Gordon and Caitlin declared their love for each other and Sir Topham Hatt told you about me."

"O-oh…I understand. And speaking of love, Caitlin gave me a nice announcement this morning and asked me to let you spend Christmas with Belle. I talked to Sir Topham Hatt about it, and we agreed that the Search and Rescue Centre building is a good place for you two to be in private."

Nathaniel gasped. "T-thank you, sir! I'm glad to know you liked that Belle and I have fallen in love. This makes me very happy! I really thank you and Sir Topham Hatt for allowing me to be with her this Christmas."

Sir Norramby smiled. "You're welcome, Nat. My friend Topham says that a happy engine is a useful engine, so, he also likes that you and Belle are in love. Well, Stephen will show you your shed for you to rest now. Oh, and I placed something there that I know you'll like. It's a little surprise."

"Oh…thank you, sir!"

Soon, Stephen came along and greeted Nathaniel, and then, both went to the castle.

Nathaniel trembled on crossing the drawbridge and entering the castle. He could not believe he was at the place in which Caitlin and Gordon had their first kiss, and also, the place in which Caitlin showed Gordon the first video he had sent to her. _"This is simply a fairy-tale place…"_ he thought. And, to make the moment more exciting, he saw something that filled his heart with tenderness; a tiny blue tank engine…

"Hello, Nathaniel!" said the engine with a cute smile, "I'm Millie. I was eager to meet you!"

"Oh, my goodness…Hello, Millie! Wow…they told me that there was a beautiful little princess in this castle and I'm pleased to see they were right."

"Hee! Hee!" Millie blushed, "Thank you, Nat!"

After meeting the 'little princess of Ulfstead,' Stephen took Nathaniel to his shed at the other side of the castle, passing through _Gordon and Caitlin's Tunnel of Love_ …

"Are you comfortable, Nat?" asked Stephen as the EM-1 reversed up to the back of the berth.

"Comfortable is the least I can say, Stephen! This is a warm, beautiful shed…I feel blessed to be here."

"Glad to hear that, my friend. By the way, look at the wall on your left. Sir Norramby placed something there for you."

Nathaniel obeyed.

And he almost stopped breathing at what he saw.

"O-oh, my Gosh…I-I can't believe it…" Nathaniel's lips curved in a trembling smile, while a tear of emotion rolled down his cheek. There on the wall, it was the photo that Sir Norramby had taken on Austin's pilot during his travel to the USA…

"He had found it among the hundreds of photos of his travels around the world," explained Stephen, "and he ordered an enlarged copy of it to decorate your shed."

"O-our owner is amazing, Stephen…" Nathaniel could barely speak, "I-I didn't expect a surprise like this…"

Stephen smiled tenderly. "Well, you already heard our owner exclaiming 'I love a good surprise,' didn't you?"

"Ha! Ha! Y-yes…I-I remember it…Oh, I'll have sweet dreams with such a photo by my side…My brother looks so smiling there…"

"He has a sweet smile indeed…Gabriel told us his name is Austin."

"That's right…and they told me that Austin means 'magnificent.'"

"Oh…It really suits you the EM-1s."

Nathaniel giggled.

Stephen conversed with Nathaniel for a while. Then, he went to his own shed near there.

Once Nathaniel's fire was off and his cab cleaned, Joseph climbed onto his pilot. "How do you feel after our first day of work, Nat?" asked the young driver, smiling.

"Oh, Joseph...I feel super-happy! So many exciting things happened today…I enjoyed all of them, especially the moment I heard you playing the piano…And as if it were not enough; now I see this priceless photo of my brother by my side…"

"I'm glad to know you're super-happy, Nat, and I thank Heaven that your brother Austin was saved from the scrapping…I've known there was a great brotherly love between you two…and also, I've known you had a very special relationship with Mr. O'Mara." Joseph put a hand on Nathaniel's cheek. "I know that nobody can replace a father, Nat…but I promise I'll be a good friend for you."

Nathaniel looked into Joseph's eyes with sweetness. "I wonder…is that the reason why you waited until the last moment to tell me you were my new driver? Did you fear I wouldn't accept you so easily?"

"Well…y-yes."

"Oh…" Nathaniel smiled, "Heaven chose you to be my new driver, Joseph...How not to love you with all my heart? I had told you I already felt at ease with you from the day we meet…It's true that I loved Mr. O'Mara as a father, and I'll always do it, but don't think that I'll compare you to him…You can't compare two things that are as different as the black and the white…right?"

"Wow…thank you, Nat! I'll have a happy rest tonight."

"That's good. You'll need a happy rest to relax those shoulders indeed. You were a little tense today…"

"Ha! Ha!" Joseph blushed. "Yes, I was a little tense…I didn't want to make any mistake. But don't worry, a warm bath at bedtime is all what my shoulders need." Joseph gave Nathaniel a kiss on his cheek. "See you, Nat…Tomorrow is the great day. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Joseph. Oh, and don't forget to take your garland. It's very cold."

Both laughed out loud.

Once Joseph left, Nathaniel looked at the photo on the wall with deep love. Austin would have never imagined that the man who posed on his pilot was the future owner of his brother...It was a heavenly coincidence.

"Austin..." whispered Nathaniel, "you have no idea how happy I feel...I wish I could send you half of this happiness...I love you, my brother...I love you…"

Nathaniel kept looking at the photo, until his eyelids became heavy. So, he closed his eyes and made a prayer to thank Heaven for all the exciting things that happened to him this day.

And then, the 'angel of the rails' fell asleep peacefully.


	11. O Holy Christmas -Part 1

****MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!****

And miraculously, here's the Christmas Eve chapter, although I have divided it into two parts in order to make things easier for me. This first part is about the carols concert. The second one is about the couples' love night and will be ready in the next days.

I thank _Guest 4_ , _Guest_ and _Australian Guest_ for their lovely comments!

I also thank _kbear100_ , _ChAoSVA757_ and _AaronCottrell97_ , and I apologise to them for not having responded by PM. I was very busy writing the chapter and didn't have time to respond.

By the way, Aaron said something that I liked very much: _"Belle received the 'mother's blessing'."_ One of my goals in this story was precisely to show how important the mother is in one's life. If Nathaniel could calmly endure the fact of being unexpectedly separated from those he loved, it was because he knew that he would see his mommy on the other side of the sea and would forget all the sorrows in her arms. And as for Belle; now she also sees Caitlin as a mother and feels happy to count on her blessing.

I hope you like the chapter. See you soon, my friends!

...

* * *

 _"For today in the city of David a saviour has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."_ -Luke, 2:11

* * *

 **CHAPTER XI**

 **O HOLY CHRISTMAS**

 **Part One**

* * *

 _"Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever!"_ -Nathaniel, Caitlin and the chorus

* * *

It was Christmas Eve, the long-awaited day.

And the sunset on Sodor could not be better.

There were clouds, but it was not snowing.

Vicarstown Station was dressed in all its finery, ready for the carols concert by the children's choir.

Gordon and the other engines were taking their passengers to the concert from several places of the island, while Caitlin and Connor were taking theirs from the mainland. Gordon and Caitlin were overflowing with joy. This would be their much desired first Christmas together and both had enough reasons to thank Heaven.

The concert would start in half an hour and Nathaniel was already at Vicarstown. He had come to the station a few minutes ago and he hummed a song while looking everything around. There were Christmas ornaments everywhere, especially on the stage that was mounted on Platform 1. And the most impressive thing was undoubtedly the enormous tree at the entrance to the station. This tree, whose lights would be turned on towards the end of the concert, measured seven metres tall and was beautifully decorated.

The children of the choir were at the waiting room of the station, accompanied by their director, Gabriel, Sophia and Joseph.

A little later, the trains began to arrive and the place filled with people who came to attend the event. The tracks of Platforms 1 and 2 were closed from the entrance to the station to the middle of it, so as the engines not to interfere with the view of the audience. Nathaniel was parked just after the line that marked the closed area, beside Platform 1. Gordon, Caitlin and Connor placed themselves near him, on Platforms 3, 4 and 5. Nathaniel changed warm smiles with them, and remembered the pleasant moments he had shared with them during the day…

* * *

In the morning, Nathaniel had a friendly race with Gordon from Crovan's Gate to Vicarstown as he was taking Sir Norramby to the mainland. Obviously, Gordon won the race, since the EM-1 was not as fast as him even though he could also pull express trains. But both enjoyed the moment. Nathaniel felt honoured to be able to fly beside the one who had begged for his life, and Gordon was happy that his opponent was not even remotely arrogant like Spencer…

Once Nathaniel crossed the bridge to the mainland, Caitlin guided him to Barrow Station. The reason for this journey was that Sir Norramby wanted to promote 'the new tourist attraction of Ulfstead.' Nathaniel was happy to take his owner on a journey for the first time, besides; he had the opportunity to see his friend Sam again. As he and Caitlin arrived at the station; Connor and Sam were there waiting for them, and the four engines spent the rest of the morning together. At one point, Nathaniel and Sam sang _'Oh! Susanna,'_ making Connor and Caitlin burst into laughter…

* * *

Nathaniel smiled at those memories as the moment for the concert was getting closer.

Soon, Nathaniel heard that an engine was approaching from behind him on the track of Platform 2. He already knew who the engine was, since the place was reserved for her; it was Belle.

The fire engine stopped beside the EM-1 in front of the line that marked the closed area. "Hello everyone!" he greeted.

"Hello Belle!" responded Nathaniel and the express engines. Gordon and Connor congratulated her on being 'the Girlfriend of the Year,' just like Caitlin had done the day before.

Belle was beaming with happiness. She used to take turns with Flynn to attend the events where fireworks are displayed, and this time it was his friend's turn…But as soon as Belle told Flynn that she wanted to be in this concert with her boyfriend, Flynn did not hesitate to give her his turn. So, Belle was now here, ready to enjoy her first social event together with her 'angel of the rails.' And she looked particularly beautiful. On the horizontal part of her running-plate, just below her smoke-box, there were several stickers of blue butterflies and flowers.

"Wow..." said Nathaniel, "I see you get decorated for these events, sweetie. I like it. Those butterflies make you look even more beautiful."

"Hee! Hee! Thank you, honey. But actually, this is the first time I do this. I wanted to look pretty for you…"

Nathaniel opened his eyes widely. "O-oh, my love…thank you…You look really pretty…When we are in private, I'll watch you better…and I'll admire you better."

"O-okay." Belle blushed deeply, and Nathaniel winked at her.

"That's a sweet couple," said Connor.

"And very beautiful," added Caitlin.

"And very fortunate," opined Gordon.

"Thank you!" responded the two lovebirds.

Caitlin was delighted with Belle's surprise and Nathaniel's reaction. _"They look so tender..."_ she thought, and she wondered how Gordon would react on seeing the little surprise she had prepared for him at the place they would spend the night.

Then, when it was just a few minutes before the concert would start, Joseph got out of the waiting room and approached Nathaniel. He looked very attractive in his elegant black suit. "Do you think you can do it, Nat?" he asked in a low voice, "I don't want you to feel forced and can't enjoy the concert..."

"I can do it, Joseph, don't worry. I was a little nervous, but now I feel very encouraged. Belle has just given me a surprise and I want to give her one as well."

"Oh..." Joseph smiled, "I find it very tender. But anyway, when the time comes I'll look at you for you to give me a signal."

"No problem."

"Well, the concert will start in five minutes. You can ring your bell already."

"Okay. Good luck, Joseph."

"Thank you, Nat. Good luck for you too." Joseph gave some pats on his engine's pilot and returned to the waiting room.

Nathaniel looked at his girlfriend. "Accompany me with your bell," he whispered, and he began to ring his bell to announce that the concert was about to start. Belle accompanied him proudly.

On hearing the bells, people who were still standing went to take their seats and everyone was silent. Then, the cameras that would film the event were turned on and Gabriel came on stage. Gabriel wore a black suit just like Joseph. He greeted the audience and presented the concert program, saying the names of the carols and their respective soloists.

Caitlin's heart pounded on hearing that _'O Holy Night'_ would be performed during the tree lights switch-on, the most exciting moment of the event. She looked at Nathaniel and exchanged a complicit smile with him, without imagining he would sing the carol…Gabriel omitted to say who would be the soloist of such a theme.

Then, between the applause of the audience, the artists got out of the waiting room and came on the stage. The children and their director wore white robes and their heads were covered with a Santa Claus hat. As for Sophia, she wore a beautiful red dress.

As the applause stopped, Joseph sat in the piano and Gabriel and Sophia took their harps.

To begin with, the Thin Clergyman appeared on the stage and read the story of the birth of Jesus from the Gospel of St. Luke, while Joseph and his friends played a soft melody with their instruments. This made everyone get into the spirit of Christmas. Then, the children performed the first carol of the event; _'O Come All Ye Faithful,'_ followed by _'O Little Town of Bethlehem'_ and _'Joy to the World.'_

People and engines were delighted with the sounds of the instruments and the sweet voices of the children.

Gordon and Caitlin looked at each other with deep love, enjoying this moment that they had waited for so long. Just twenty days ago, Caitlin had thought she would be worried about Nathaniel in this day. However, Nathaniel was there, very close to her. Caitlin still could not believe that she was attending this event together with her boyfriend, her adoptive brother and…her _baby_.

The following carols were _'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel'_ and _'Ding Dong Merrily On High,'_ followed by a masterful performance of _'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.'_ Then, it was the turn of _'Gloria In Excelsis Deo,'_ _'The First Noel' and 'What Child is This?'_

Nathaniel looked at Joseph affectionately, feeling proud to have him as his driver. He thought that Joseph played as an angel, just like Gabriel and Sophia.

Then, it was the turn of _'Silent Night,'_ which made Caitlin and Nathaniel sigh with emotion, remembering the heavenly moment they had shared two nights ago. Other locomotives to whom this song brought back beautiful memories were James and Emily, since they had sung it together the day they met.

The following song was _'O Christmas Tree,'_ and Nathaniel's heart began to beat wildly. This would be the last theme before _'O Holy Night'_ …Just a few minutes were left before the great moment.

While the children were singing, Nathaniel concentrated on breathing deeply. He did not want to get nervous again. He was determined to sing the song that his _mommy_ had taught him. He had not sung anything the last three Christmases due to the remorse that struck his heart. But now, completely redeemed and saved from death; he had the wonderful opportunity to sing again…and near Caitlin.

At a certain point during the song, Nathaniel felt Belle's steam slightly caressing the side of his pilot. He looked at her and saw some concern on her face. Without a doubt Belle thought that something was wrong with him. Nathaniel did not want her to worry, so he gave a warm smile to her to make her know that everything was alright. And also, he let off a little of steam to mix it with hers…This gesture was the equivalent of "holding hands" and made Nathaniel feel much better.

Once the song ended, Joseph immediately looked at Nathaniel. It was time to know if his engine was still encouraged to sing. And the signal he received from the EM-1 could not be more positive: a big smile and a wink, just as they had agreed. This made Joseph happy and he discreetly raised his right thumb in response.

In this moment, as a way to represent the world that lay in the darkness of sin before the coming of the Saviour, all the lights of the station were turned off, except some lamps that illuminated the stage. Then, everybody looked at the Christmas tree and Joseph played the introduction to the next carol.

Thanks to the darkness, nobody noticed that a worker placed a microphone on the edge of Platform 1, just beside Nathaniel's pilot.

Nathaniel clung even more to Belle's "hand" while hearing the introduction to the song. And then, he took a deep breath and began to sing…

 _O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,_

 _It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth._

Belle and the three express engines stayed open-mouthed. They were surprised to hear Nathaniel sing. Caitlin felt a lump in her throat and the tears escaped her eyes. People discovered that the one who was singing was not on the stage and they looked from one side to the other.

 _Long lay the world in sin and error pining,_

 _Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth._

One by one, the light strings of the tree began to turn on, and now people could see the mysterious singer. Nobody could believe it was a locomotive. And Sir Norramby gasped on noticing it was HIS locomotive…

 _A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,_

 _For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn._

Nathaniel knew that he had the public's gaze on him, so he stared at Joseph as he sang so as not to lose focus. The lights of the tree continued to turn on and the moment was getting emotional, and now Belle was also shedding tears. _"He really is the angel of the rails,"_ thought Belle.

 _Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!_

 _O night divine, O night when Christ was born;_

 _O night divine, O night, O night Divine._

The first part of the song ended and Nathaniel felt very happy. While the sounds from the piano and the harps filled the environment, he looked at his friends...Everyone smiled at him. Caitlin and Belle's eyes were full of tenderness. And then, before continuing to sing, Nathaniel whispered three words to Caitlin, which she could understand by reading his lips: "Sing with me…" Caitlin could not refuse this invitation…

 _Truly He taught us to love one another;_

 _His law is love and His gospel is peace._

This was a dream came true. Nathaniel and Caitlin were singing together again…together at Christmas Eve…Gordon and Connor had a smile of satisfaction on their faces, while Belle closed her eyes to better enjoy the lovely duo…

 _Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;_

 _And in His name all oppression shall cease._

Nathaniel and Caitlin made a pleasant tenor and contralto duo. Even the choir director was amazed...

 _Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,_

 _Let all within us praise His holy name._

The most touching part of the song had come and the children joined Nathaniel and Caitlin to sing it, causing many to shed tears of emotion…

 _Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,_

 _His power and glory evermore proclaim._

 _Noel, Noel_

 _O night, O night divine!_

Nathaniel and Caitlin were on the verge of tears. This was too exciting for them. Both took a deep breath to repeat the last lines of the song while the light of the star on the top of the tree turned on…

 _Noel, Noel_

 _O night, O night divine!_

The audience stood up and burst into applause and cheers, accompanied by the engines' whistles and horns. Nathaniel and Caitlin smiled at each other and let their tears fall freely. Then, the fireworks display began.

The sight of the giant Christmas tree and the fireworks was impressive. The fireworks spectacle lasted almost ten minutes, embellishing the sky of Sodor with their colours and leaving people and engines speechless. Belle was attentive and ready to act at all times. The fact of being in love did not prevent her from doing her job properly.

Nathaniel and Caitlin continued to shed tears of happiness, remembering their first Christmas together; when Nathaniel was only four months old...Caitlin would never forget how her _baby_ tried to practice their carol while she kissed his nose again and again...And Nathaniel would never forget how he yelled "O night divine" the night he knew he was saved from death and would live near his _mommy_...

Once the fireworks display ended, the lights of the station turned on again between the applause of the audience. Then, Sir Topham Hatt appeared at the foot of the tree disguised as Santa Claus and exclaiming _'Merry Christmas!_ _Ho! Ho! Ho!'_ The children shouted with joy, and 'Santa Claus' invited them to get close to receive their gifts.

And, as the children lined up in front of the Christmas tree to receive their gifts, Nathaniel and Caitlin received the congratulations from their friends. "That was amazing!" exclaimed Connor, "Absolutely beautiful!" added Gordon, "An angelic duo!" said Belle. "Thank you!" responded the two singers tearfully.

Meanwhile, Joseph, Gabriel and Sophia shared a friendly hug on the stage. They had organized this event with great enthusiasm and now they were happy with it success. Unlike Gabriel, whose father and grandfather were drivers; Joseph belonged to a family of musicians. In fact, he was a nephew of Alicia Botti on his mother's side. But from a very young age he felt a great fascination with steam locomotives, and his parents had no problem supporting him in his desire to become a driver.

A little after, people began to board the trains to leave the station, not without having congratulated the event organisers and took some photos with the engines and the brightly Christmas tree. Connor would take Caitlin's passengers back to the mainland, while Henry would take Gordon's passengers to Knapford.

Nathaniel looked at his friends, with his cheeks still covered in some tears. "My angels;" he said, "maybe you're already tired of hearing me say this, but I'll say it once again…thank you for helping save my life…The day before I left the USA, I met a Baldwin's employee who was part of the team that built us the EM-1s...and he told me the reason why they named me Nathaniel...He said it was to pay tribute to life..." Nathaniel swallowed, "…and this party with you all was a truly tribute to my new life…Thank you, my friends."

The engines were touched. "We won't get tired to say it was a blessing to help save your life, Nat," responded Gordon, "and we thank you for the big surprise you gave us in this party. You sang as a professional."

"And you made a wonderful duo with Caitlin," said Connor. "Hearing you sing with your mommy was a gift from Heaven. We have no words to say how happy we feel to have you here with us."

"Oh, my friends…I'll never forget this first Christmas with you all…" Nathaniel looked at Caitlin, "Mommy…what can I say? This is the best Christmas of my life…Thank you for teaching me to sing such a sweet carol...and for singing it with me on this holy night."

Caitlin smiled tenderly. "You're welcome, my beloved baby…You surprised me pleasantly and I feel honoured to have sung with you. It was an unforgettable experience. Now I wish you have an unforgettable Christmas night with this pretty girl who doesn't stop holding your hand..."

Nathaniel and Belle giggled. "Thank you!" they responded.

In this moment, Gabriel, Sophia and Joseph approached the engines and congratulated Nathaniel and Caitlin for having sung so well.

"Does anyone want to take a photo to send it to the USA?" asked Gabriel afterward. "Yes!" was the general answer. So, the three friends placed themselves beside Nathaniel's pilot and the photographer took a beautiful image, while a cameraman filmed the scene.

"Hey! Wait for me!" screamed someone. It was Sir Robert Norramby.

"And wait for me too!" added 'Santa Claus.'

"We also want to be in the photo!" said Lady Hatt and Dowager Hatt.

"And we too!" yelled Stephen and Bridget Hatt.

The engines laughed on seeing the crowd that wanted to be in the photo with them.

After the photo shoot, Nathaniel made a little speech in front of the camera. "Hello Mr. O'Mara, Austin and everyone there in the USA! I wanted you to know that I'm having a super-happy Christmas, surrounded by love. Look at my angels near my, sir, and look at this beautiful girl at my side; she's Belle...my girlfriend! She and I met at the Steamworks and we fell in love with each other. She's the blue butterfly I wanted to see! Sir; I'm glad that you already know my driver Joseph. I feel very comfortable with him and I'm grateful to Heaven for having him in my cab. I'm also happy with my owner, Sir Norramby. He's a wonderful person! Oh, and look at the Santa Claus at his side, he's actually Sir Topham Hatt, Gordon and Belle's owner!" Everyone giggled. "Sir," continued Nathaniel, "say to Austin, Jessica, Bernard and Washington that I'm very happy here, and give your wife and my princess Nathania an embrace for me. I love you all, sir, you're all in my heart!"

Everyone applauded this emotional speech.

"I loved the surprise, Nat!" said Sir Norramby afterward. "Many people congratulated me on buying such a talented engine and they promised to visit Ulfstead in the coming days. Without realizing it, you have done a good publicity in favour of the Estate Railway. I'm very proud of you!"

"Oh…thank you, sir! I'm glad to be useful for you."

"I also loved the surprise, Nat," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Your owner had said to me that the EM-1s can do anything, even sing at a concert, and I can see he was right."

Everyone laughed.

Then, people said 'Merry Christmas' to the engines and left the station.

"Well," said Connor, "I must go now. Have a happy Christmas the four of you!"

"Thank you, Connor!" responded the two couples, "happy Christmas to you too!" And the speedy aquamarine engine set off for the mainland, eager to tell Sam everything about the event.

"It was a pleasure for us to share this event with you," said Gordon to Nathaniel, "we wish you and Belle have the best Christmas night of your lives."

"Thank you, Gordon," responded the EM-1, "we wish the same to you two. And, mommy, I thank you again for your Christmas gift for Belle and me."

"You're welcome, my baby," said Caitlin. "May the Lord bless your love and you two can be very happy."

"Thank you!" responded the two lovebirds.

"And thank you for giving me your motherly blessing, Caitlin," added Belle.

"Aww…you're welcome, Belle! You'll always count on my blessing. Well, Gordon and I'll go to our shed now. Merry Christmas you two!"

"Merry Christmas!"

Gordon and Caitlin pumped their pistons and began to move. Caitlin gave a wink to her _baby_ before going, making him smile sweetly.

Then, Nathaniel and Belle looked at each other lovingly. All the trains had already left, so only the two of them were at the station. The Christmas lights reflected on their eyes and their brightly paintworks, while their "hands" were still joined in the warm cloud of steam that emerged silently from their cylinders...It was a tender prelude to their night in private…

"I don't want to wake up from this dream…" said Belle, "this is a piece of Heaven…"

"Don't worry, precious…" responded Nathaniel, "this dream is just beginning…and when you wake up, I'll be near you for us to continue dreaming together."

"Oh, my love, you make me so happy…and this is such a beautiful place to be with you...but also…" Belle paused and added in a low voice; "…I already want to be with you at the Search and Rescue Centre..."

Nathaniel heart vibrated. "Your wish is my command, sweetie...Go ahead. I'll go behind you...protecting you."

Belle blushed. "O-okay, honey."

The two lovebirds slowly separated their "hands." Belle pumped her pistons and reversed to get out of the station.

Then, Joseph approached Nathaniel and put a hand on his pilot. "You sang like an angel, Nat," he said, "and Caitlin made a perfect duo with you. You two impressed everyone!"

Nathaniel looked at his driver with deep affection. "Joseph…come in here, please?" he said. Joseph climbed onto his pilot. "I'm happy to have you as my driver…" continued the EM-1, "I'm having the best Christmas of my life and you're one of my greatest gifts. I thank you for inviting me to sing my favourite carol at the concert…I didn't imagine I would live such a wonderful moment with my mommy…I'll never forget this day…Thank you, Joseph…thank you for being part of my life."

"Oh, boy…" Joseph caressed Nathaniel's cheek, "I'm honoured to be part of your life…You're also my great Christmas gift and I'm very happy with you. I've always wanted to drive a big steam locomotive, but I never thought my engine would sing while I played the piano…You made me live an unforgettable moment this day…Thank you, Nat. We make a good team together."

Nathaniel smiled sweetly. "I'm grateful to make this team with you, Joseph, and I want to give you more unforgettable moments like today."

"Really? Do you want to do it again?"

"What a question…I'm eager to do it again! How about the New Year's lunch in Ulfstead for Sir Norramby to be proud of us?"

"Ha! Ha! That's a good idea! I totally agree. But first…enjoy your Christmas with Belle."

"Oh…of course! Let's go right now. I must not lose sight of her."

Joseph giggled. "Let's go, boy," he said, and he kissed Nathaniel's cheek tenderly.

"Merry Christmas, my beloved friend," whispered Nathaniel.

"O-oh…thank you, my beloved engine. Merry Christmas to you too."

Joseph went to Nathaniel's cab and took him out of the station to follow Belle.

Meanwhile, at Vicarstown Shunting Yards, Gordon and Caitlin made the necessary manoeuvres to enter the shed where they would spend the night. They would not go to Ulfstead this time. Despite that Caitlin got permission to spend Christmas on the island, her controller wanted her to stay as close as possible to the mainland. But she and Gordon had no problem with that, since the only important thing for them was to be together.

Caitlin reversed up to the back of the berth, and Gordon entered after her.

But then, Gordon gasped and stayed open-mouthed at what he saw…

The walls of the shed were decorated with large glazed paper hearts, and a Christmas garland hung from the ceiling forming two waves.

In the middle of the garland, there was a wreath of mistletoe…


	12. O Holy Christmas -Part 2

Happy New Year, my friends! (Well, we're still in January, so I think it's not too late to say it...XD)

Here's the second part of the Christmas chapter and, as I had promised, it's about the couples' love night. By the way, you'll notice that Gordon and Caitlin have _less time on screen_ than Nathaniel and Belle. This is because they've already had several romantic moments throughout the saga, while this will be the first time for Nathaniel and Belle. I hope you agree with that. I must also say that this is the penultimate chapter of the story. The next one will be the Epilogue.

Australian Guest: I'm glad that you enjoyed the concert, my friend. I imagine Nathaniel with the voice of Marc Martel and Caitlin with the voice of Kerrie Roberts, and I think they would do a beautiful duo. Both singers have their own version of "O Holy Night" on YouTube. I invite you to take a look. I never get tired of listening to them! :)

Guest 4: Thank you for your lovely words, my friend. The scene with Gordon and Caitlin under the mistletoe is finally here for you. Maybe what happens between them is not exactly what you've waited for, but I know you'll like it anyway. :)

Guest: Don't worry, my friend, there is no possibility that Joseph is mean to Nathaniel. He already felt fondness for him several months before they met at the Steamworks. As for Flynn and Belle, they're only good friends for me. Flynn is a road vehicle and Belle is a steam locomotive, so I don't think of them as a couple in love. :)

ChAoSVA757: Thank you very much!

kbear100: Thank you for your comments. This is Gordon and Caitlin's second Christmas as a couple, but the first one that they spend together. As for Nathaniel saving Belle, I'm sorry to say that the story doesn't include such a scene. I hope you like this chapter. :)

See you, my dears!

* * *

 _"What I feared has not happened; instead you have shown us your boundless mercy."_ (Tobit 8:16)

 _"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…"_ (Song of Songs 1:1)

* * *

 **CHAPTER XII**

 **O HOLY CHRISTMAS**

 **Part Two**

* * *

 _"Then let us all with one accord…Sing praises to our heavenly Lord…"_ -All the engines.

* * *

He stopped right at the entrance to the shed.

So much beauty deserved to be admired without hurrying. The hearts, the garland, the Christmas lights, the mistletoe...

Gordon had never seen a shed decorated like this. He looked at the ornaments on the walls and ceiling with a smile on his face, feeling happy to have received such a surprise. Everything was beautiful.

But the most beautiful thing, what Gordon admired with all his heart, was neither on the walls nor the ceiling, but at the end of the berth, just under the mistletoe;

…Caitlin.

His beloved Caitlin looked like a bride at the altar, a bride radiant with joy that exhibited her most precious ornaments: the tenderness of her smile and the purity of her gaze.

Gordon gave a sigh of love before this sublime scene, and then, he began to move towards his beloved, looking her in the eyes. He stopped in front of her and carefully pressed his buffers against her skirt. "Is this a shed decorated for Christmas?" he whispered, "or…a church decorated for a wedding?"

Caitlin blushed. "W-well…if you agree; I-I take the second option."

"Oh…of course I agree."

"Hee! Hee! You make me so happy, honey…"

Gordon looked at his "bride" with deep affection. "Thank you for this surprise, my love…I've eagerly awaited for this Christmas to be with you...and you took care of making it even more special than I dreamed of...Thank you, my love."

"Don't need to thank, honey, this is nothing compared to the surprise you gave me…I'll never be able to reward you properly for what you've done."

"Do you think…a wedding is nothing?"

"O-oh…" Caitlin giggled, "n-no…a wedding is certainly something sublime…I-I was just referring to these ornaments."

Gordon could feel Caitlin's heartbeats almost hitting his buffers. He looked deeply into her eyes for a few seconds. "Caitlin…" he whispered.

"Y-yes?"

"If we were humans…would you have married me?"

Caitlin felt a wave of happiness running through her boiler. "I would've married you in _seven churches,_ " she responded sweetly, "and I would be the happiest wife in the world…and I would give you at least two _little Nathaniels_ and two _little Belles_."

"W-wow…" Gordon smiled widely, "then...I would be the happiest husband and father in the world...with such a wonderful woman at my side...and so many precious children calling me 'dad'..." Caitlin's cheeks got red, making Gordon's heart pound, "My love…" added the blue engine, "although for obvious reasons we engines don't get married, I would like you to consider me your husband…please?"

"Oh, honey…" Caitlin was touched, "of course yes…and consider me your wife…your faithful wife…"

Gordon could not contain himself anymore. He slowly closed the distance between him and his beloved, and their lips joined in a kiss…a kiss under the mistletoe…a kiss as sweet as the love they professed to each other…

One year and a half ago, nobody would have believed that Gordon would change so much. He kept struggling against pride, but now it was easier for him to defeat it. He kept thinking that certain little engines were inferior to him, but now it was easier for him to recognize that they were as useful as him. He kept having episodes of bad moods, but they were no longer as frequent as before. And all thanks to Caitlin, the cheerful, kind, beautiful girl who stole his heart and infected him with her enthusiasm for life.

It would be a mistake to say that Caitlin had not suffered because of Gordon's flaws. In fact, she was the one who suffered the most, because she was the one who loved him the most. But she had already seen the goodness hidden in Gordon's heart and she knew that he could change. And he really changed. Caitlin was for him as that pure, crystalline water that, drop by drop, manages to break a stone…

"Mmm…" sighed Gordon, "this newlyweds' first kiss was sublime."

Caitlin eyes filled with sweetness. "It was the most sublime kiss we've ever shared…I love you so much, my imposing gentleman…This Christmas couldn't be better. We are together in a warm shed, after attending a heavenly concert...Oh, my love; I wish I can explain to you how happy I feel…"

"Your happiness is my happiness, sweetie, I love you with all my heart…I wish I could also explain to you how I feel at this moment…I remember the day we saw the second video that Nathaniel sent; I felt a pain in my heart on seeing you crying as he sang your favourite carol…I thought he would no longer be alive this Christmas and we would be lamented his scrapping…But what I feared didn't happen; instead your baby is alive and you could sing with him again...That's just wonderful."

"My love…thank you for accepting Nathaniel as your friend and for sharing my happiness to have him near us…that means a lot to me…The moment I was in private with him, he told me he want to get along well with you and that it worries him that he could do something that would bother you."

"Oh…" Gordon giggled; "he doesn't have to worry; we'll get along very well. In fact, we've already had a nice man-to-man conversation this morning. He asked me for some advice on how to act on his first night in private with Belle. I told him not to hurry to kiss her, but waiting until the right moment and doing it delicately."

Caitlin opened her eyes widely. "What a sweet man-to-man conversation! Oh, honey…your heart is much bigger than I thought." She pressed her lips against Gordon's and they shared their _newlyweds' second kiss_ …

Caitlin did not stop getting surprised by how Gordon gave Nathaniel a place in his heart. She was right when she told Nathaniel that many of those unpleasant things he heard about Gordon were things of the past. As a single example, four months ago, after Gordon got stuck on his hill, he begged Edward to help him as he yelled _'I promise not to call you old or unreliable anymore!',_ and he was fulfil his promise until now…

After moving from Gordon's lips, Caitlin caressed his cheek with hers. "This was a year full of blessings…" she whispered, "the Valentine's Day concert…the videos that Nathaniel sent…Washington's rescue from the scrap…my Christmas surprise…attending the carols concert together with you, Connor and Nathaniel…and being with you like this on this holy night…"

"There were many blessings indeed," Gordon softly kissed Caitlin's cheek, "You're the best thing that happened in my life, sweetie...you got into my heart as an arrow sent by Heaven…and you made me live the most beautiful moments…I'll never stop loving you…I'm all yours."

Caitlin smiled. "I'm also all yours," she whispered while Gordon covered her cheek with kisses, "I'll always love you…I can't imagine my life without you…You're so good to me…" Caitlin continued to enjoy the tenderness of her beloved for a little longer, until a funny thought came to her mind. "Honey…"

"Hmm?"

"Have you noticed something?"

"Mmm…what thing?"

The P-7 tried not to laugh. "You literally gave me a son this Christmas."

Gordon moved from Caitlin's cheek and looked at her, confused. But then he understood what she meant and he burst into laughter…Caitlin could not help but laugh as well. "Bust my buffers!" exclaimed Gordon and kept laughing. He found Caitlin's conclusion very funny, but also very tender. He had never imagined himself as being Nathaniel's _adoptive father_ …

Once Gordon stopped laughing, he and Caitlin lost themselves into each other eyes. "What a blessed year, sweetie," said Gordon, "I have a wife and a baby now."

Caitlin blushed. "Yes…and our baby will live in our little love nest at Ulfstead."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, my love, come here…" Gordon joined his lips to Caitlin's and they melted into another deep kiss…

* * *

And while the _newlyweds_ enjoyed their _honeymoon_ at Vicarstown, another couple; whose love was still a delicate little flower, was on the way to the Search and Rescue Centre.

Nathaniel and Bell had just taken the turnoff towards the Main Line Loop and they were having a pleasant journey. Some sections they went side by side and others on the same track. Belle could feel the ground vibrating with Nathaniel's movement and she was delighted to see the "contortions" the EM-1 made to move from one track to another.

As they arrived at the Search and Rescue Centre, Belle climbed onto the turntable and turned until she was face to face with her boyfriend. She did not forget that Nathaniel said he would "admire her better" once they were in private.

And Nathaniel did not forget either, so he slid his gaze over Belle's pilot, watching the stickers of butterflies and flowers she had there. Belle had asked her driver's daughter to make such a decoration and Nathaniel appreciated this gesture from his girlfriend. _"I wanted to be pretty for you,"_ Belle had said to him.

After looking at his beloved until making her blush, Nathaniel decided it was time to fulfil his other promise: to embrace her. So, he asked charmingly; "Would you give me the honor to accompany you to the shed, precious?"

Belle blushed even more. "Of course yes…It'll be a pleasure to have your thirty-four wheels on the same track as me."

"Wow…" Nathaniel approached the blue engine, "…thirty-four wheels, huh? You're a good observer."

"Hee! Hee! Oops…" A snowflake fell on Belle's nose, making her blink a couple of time. Nathaniel found it adorable and he touched Belle's nose with his. "Let's go, sweetie…" whispered the EM-1; "my thirty-four wheels are eager to rest on the same track as you."

Belle giggled. Then, she moved back to enter the shed, followed by Nathaniel.

The sheds of the Search and Rescue Centre building were empty. Usually, Flynn and Belle parked there. But this time, Flynn had gone to sleep on the second floor of the building in order to let Belle be alone with her boyfriend. Belle was immensely grateful to Flynn for this gesture of his.

Once the lovebirds were inside the shed, they looked into each other eyes affectionately. They could hardly believe they finally had the privacy they had wished so much. "Are you comfortable?" asked Nathaniel, "our buffers are fully pressed…"

"I'm very comfortable, honey, I like to be with you like this...The closer, the better."

Nathaniel smiled. He was still impressed by how Belle trusted him. "Okay," he responded, "So, receive this embrace of mine…" Nathaniel slowly enfolded his beloved with his steam, "…for you to know how important you're to me…and how good I feel with you…"

Belle sighed with emotion and closed her eyes to enjoy this gift from her angel. She did not imagine how special this embrace would be, because the moment in which Nathaniel promised to give it to her, he had not declared his love to her yet. However, she could now enjoy it by being nothing less than Nathaniel's girlfriend, and she could be sure that there would be more embraces like this in the future.

Nathaniel was enraptured by his blue butterfly. He could not believe he had her in his "arms"…with her face very close to his…and her heartbeats caressing his buffers… _"My life couldn't be better,"_ he thought; _"my blue butterfly is relaxing in my arms…"_ Nathaniel looked at each detail of Belle's face, especially those prominent cheek-bones that drove him crazy. He felt a great desire to kiss her lips, but he was determined to wait until the right moment. He did not forget the advice that Gordon had given him; _'Don't hurry to kiss her'_.

Soon later, Belle opened her eyes. "This is wonderful…" she said softly; "you're so tender…Thank you for being so good to me…I feel secure with you…Oh, and I loved how you _held my hand_ at the concert. You surprised me. You sang with such devotion that I couldn't help but shed tears…I'm so happy to be yours…You're the best thing that happened in my life."

Nathaniel's heart melted at the voice of his beloved. "Thank you for your love and your trust, Belle…I'm proud to be your boyfriend…I want to be your best friend…your confidant…and I want to help you every time you need…And speaking of confidant; I would like to tell you something that you don't know about me yet. It's something of my past that is already completely solved, but it's a part of my life and I won't feel good by hidden it from you."

"Go ahead, honey."

"Well," Nathaniel cleared his throat, "um…oh dear…it's a little hard to begin…"

Belle smiled with sympathy. "I won't judge you because of your past, my love," she soothed; "but if it's hard for you to speak about it by looking me in the eyes; then you can whisper it against my cheek. I'll listen to you in silence."

"O-oh…" Nathaniel was delighted with such a sweet proposal. He noticed that Belle was really willing to listen to whatever he had to say, so he gladly pressed his cheek against hers and closed his eyes. Now he felt better. "It's about Caitlin," he began to say, "although this may seem difficult for you to believe; I've hurt her once..."

Nathaniel told Belle about the worst day of his life. Despite it was something completely solved, he thought it was too much relevant to hide it from his girlfriend. He told her about all the details, making a pause from time to time to let her protest if she wanted to. But Belle kept her promise to remain silent.

"I hope I didn't scare you with this, Belle," said Nathaniel after finishing his story; "I just wanted you to know it because it's something that has profoundly affected me…Please don't be afraid of me…I love you with all my heart and I would never hurt you…Don't be afraid of me…I'll always be gentle with you…" Nathaniel felt that his beloved took a deep breath. So he moved from her cheek, fearing a negative reaction. But much to his surprise, Belle was smiling at him with her eyes filled with compassion…

"I'm not afraid of you, my love," Belle said sweetly; "on the contrary, this story made me see that you're more good than I thought…Only an angel as tender and brave as you would be capable to regret a mistake so much…Now I better understand all what you suffered these years…and I can see the main reason why Heaven wanted you to be reunited with Caitlin again…Now I'm even more happy that you have had the opportunity to be with Caitlin in private two nights ago...I imagine you felt completely redeemed when she took you in her arms and sang for you to sleep…Oh, Nathaniel; thank you for telling me this story. Now I respect you even more."

Nathaniel was open-mouthed. He did not expect such an answer. "So…do you still trust me?"

"I trust you more than ever, because you showed me how big your heart is."

"But, have you noticed the dark part? I fell into the trap of the beast of temptation..."

Belle giggled. "You know what? I've heard the Thin Clergyman say once that the beast of temptation only wants to catch the saints, because the wicked are already in its team. But the saints always win, because every time they fall into a trap, they take the Lord's hand to get up again...That was exactly what you did...From the moment you regretted your mistake, the Lord already came up with a plan to make you happy again and bring you to Sodor."

Nathaniel felt a chill. He immediately remembered what Austin said to him at the end of that horrible day; _'Nothing happens by chance. The Lord can use our sufferings in order to do wonderful things_ '. He even dared to think that had it not been for his mistake, he would not be here now enjoying this sublime moment with Belle..."I don't know what to say, my love," he responded; "you leave me speechless...Thank you for your support and for continuing to trust me…I thought you would feel upset about what I did to your female friend."

"I admit that I felt sad for her while you told your story, but knowing that she doesn't hold a grudge against you and she is happy to have you near again, I realize that I have no reason to be upset with you…When Caitlin visited me yesterday, she didn't say to me _'be careful because he's dangerous'_ , she said _'I give you my baby in all confidence…Give him the most delicate hugs and the most delicious kisses, and whisper to him the sweetest words that are born in your heart…_ ' I promised her that I'll take good care of her baby."

"W-wow…" Nathaniel approached Belle even more, without stopping embracing her, "if that was the tender woman-to-woman conversation you had with my mommy, then I don't need to worry about anything."

Belle smiled sweetly. "I enjoyed having such a conversation with your mommy…I never thought she would become someone so important in my life…Would you let me call her 'mommy' as well?"

"Oh, sweetie; of course yes. I give you my mommy in all confidence..."

"Thank you, honey."

"...but please don't forget the promise you made to her."

"Hee! Hee!" Belle blushed. "Easy…I'll never forget my promise. I'll do everything she asked me to do."

Nathaniel looked deeply into Belle's eyes. "I don't know what would have become of me without you two...You are the _women_ of my life…my inexhaustible sources of tenderness…"

Belle smiled shyly, and Nathaniel could no longer contain the desire to kiss her. Their faces were very close to each other, their hearts pounded in unison, they were madly in love…Then, a pretty, very meaningful sound attracted their attention: the building clock bells…

It was midnight.

It was Christmas.

They smiled to each other, feeling fortunate to be living this magic moment. There could not have been a better time for them to have their first _exclusive kiss_. And also, there could not have been a better time for Nathaniel to follow the last advice his brother Austin had given him: to pray before first kissing his girlfriend. Nathaniel did not forget this wise advice. "I would like to make a prayer," he whispered. Belle was touched. "Do it, my love," she responded, "I'll accompany you."

Then, Nathaniel touched Belle's forehead with his. "Oh Lord..." he said, "I don't even know how to start thanking for all the gifts I've received…If I were born again; I would choose this same life…I really mean that…I've had wonderful brothers with whom I was very happy during many years, and when the difficult and sad times came, I felt more than ever that you were close to me…You never abandoned me, not even when I committed the worst sin of my life…You were in Austin's embrace when I thought that remorse would kill me...You were in the courage I had to accompany my brothers in their last hours…You were in the wonderful news that came the day Austin was removed from service…You were in Bernard's compassionate gaze when he took me to the scrapyard...You were in Mr. O'Mara's tears when he announced to me that he would become a father...You were in the video that Caitlin sent me, making me know that my sin had been forgiven…and when I had already accepted the idea of being scrapped, you woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me I was saved from death...I almost fainted from joy…What I feared didn't happen…instead I received a new life, and the events that came afterward were indescribably happy, especially meeting my little princess Nathania and re-encountering with my mommy...and so many other blessings that bunch together in my memory...And when I thought I couldn't be more blessed, you made me fall in love with this precious girl who is in front of me and you gave me such a good, funny driver."

Belle was already shedding tears at this point. _"What have I done to deserve this angel, my Lord?"_ she thought.

"I don't know what to do with so much happiness," continued Nathaniel, "my life is perfect, because your plans are perfect…I just want to ask you for one more thing; please bless the love that was born between Belle and me…Accompany us in every kiss, and allow me to always be close to her when she is in danger...I would like to be a good boyfriend…Thank you for so many gifts, my Lord…thank you…Protect all my loved ones; say hello to my brothers in the _Railroad of the Clouds_ for me...and may you have a happy birthday. Amen."

"Amen," added Belle, deeply touched by his boyfriend's words.

The two engines opened their eyes and saw particles of golden dust in the air. Lady had taken their prayer to Heaven…They looked at each other and smiled with excitement. It was the best moment of their lives; the moment to show how much they loved one another. "Merry Christmas, my blue butterfly," whispered Nathaniel. "Merry Christmas, my sweet angel," responded Belle. Their hearts could not wait any longer.

Then, Nathaniel slowly closed the distance between them, and he delicately rested his lips against Belle's…

There are no words to describe the happiness that Nathaniel and Belle felt. They did not know if they went up to Heaven or if Heaven came down to them…Austin was right on saying that ' _a kiss is more beautiful when we ask the Lord to be part of it'._ This was the kiss of love, a kiss full of tenderness and respect, with all the innocence that characterises the love between engines.

The peace and calm that Nathaniel felt in his soul had no comparison. Now he knew what the _exclusive kiss_ feels like. This time there was neither the remorse nor the despair that he felt when he betrayed Caitlin. This time, he was receiving the reward for doing things right, and he felt the most fortunate engine in the world.

Nathaniel did not stop embracing his beloved with tenderness. The fact that Belle looked small compared to his large size moved him to treat her with much delicacy. He wanted her to feel comfortable, protected and loved in his "arms." And he did it. Belle was shedding tears of happiness, lost in the warmth of his embrace and the softness of his kiss.

And now that Belle knew that Nathaniel had suffered for so long because of a wrong kiss; she realized that Heaven had not given Nathaniel to her just for her to be happy to have "the strongest, sweetest, most handsome boyfriend in the world," but also, Heaven entrusted her the important mission of giving Nathaniel the first kiss of true love…Belle felt even more blessed for such a privilege, and she was doing her best for this experience to leave the most wonderful of memories in the heart of her beloved.

After a while, Nathaniel moved from Belle's lips. "I-I love you, Belle…" he said with a trembling voice, "y-you're the most beautiful thing that happened to me…My life is complete with you…I love you, my precious."

"I love you too, my sweet Nathaniel…" responded Belle between her tears, "you're my greatest blessing…The prayer you made has showed me that you really are a gift from God...I love you, my angel…Thank you for loving me so much…and for giving me such a sublime kiss of your mouth…I don't know how to explain how happy I feel to be yours."

"Oh, my love…you have no idea how much peace I felt in my soul while kissing you…I never thought I would feel something like that…Thank you for allowing me to be yours…Thank you for making me touch Heaven."

Belle blushed. "My pleasure."

Nathaniel smiled excitedly on seeing his girl's red cheekbones and he immediately began to cover them with kisses…soft, slow kisses...

Belle sighed charmingly. She still could not believe how such a big, powerful engine could treat her with so much sweetness. "You're so tender, my angel…" she whispered, "you're so tender…"

Nathaniel moved towards Belle's lips, "You are my tenderness," he responded, and he gave her another sublime, deep kiss…

This capacity of locomotives "to pass over" their pilots to the point of touching each other's faces is a mysterious power given them by Lady, just like the capacity to use their steams as "arms" to caress and hug those who they love. Not even the engines themselves can explain these miracles…

"Mmm…" sighed Belle after the kiss, "…you also make me touch Heaven, honey…Besides, you made my Christmas wish come true...I wanted our first kiss to be at the Lord's birthday...and you have waited until after midnight to kiss me."

"Wow..." Nathaniel smiled, "I'm glad to have made this angelic wish of yours come true...I'll never forget this beautiful night with you, sweetie...I'm keeping each detail in my heart...And you also made my Christmas wish come true...I wanted..." Nathaniel's voice broke due to the emotion, so he pressed his cheek against Belle's and tried to continue. "I wanted to know..." he stopped again. Belle already imagined what he wanted to say. Nathaniel breathed a couple of times and added in a whisper; "I wanted to know what an exclusive kiss feels like…and you made me feel like Heaven." Tears of happiness rolled down the EM-1's cheeks.

"Oh, my love…" Belle began to shed tears as well.

When happiness is too big for the heart to house it, a part of it gets out through the eyes in the form of tears so that the heart does not explode…

Nathaniel and Belle continued to be cheek to cheek, enjoying this wonderful moment. And when the beating of their hearts went back to normal, Belle remembered her other wish for this Christmas: to sing against Nathaniel's cheek. So, as her beloved relaxed, she began to sing in a low voice.

 _The first Noel the angel did say_

 _Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay_

Nathaniel smiled at the song of his beloved. _"Oh, Lord..."_ he thought; _"you really don't get tired of making it rain sweetness on me..."_

 _In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,_

 _On a cold winter's night that was so deep._

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

Belle sang softly, delighting Nathaniel's soul…

 _They looked up and saw a star,_

 _Shining in the east, beyond them far,_

At this point, Nathaniel decided to join his voice to his beloved's…

 _And to the earth it gave great light,_

 _And so it continued both day and night._

Belle felt that her heart melted on hearing such a lovely manly voice making a perfect duo with hers…

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

Nathaniel and Belle kept singing together, filling the shed with the sweetness of their voices and the warmth of their love.

But they were not the only couple in love who was singing at this moment. Their friends were doing the same at the places they had gone to spend Christmas.

Gordon and Caitlin sang at Vicarstown, while they mixed their steams in a mutual embrace, their _newlyweds_ ' embrace…

 _And by the light of that same star,_

 _Three Wise Men came from country far;_

 _To seek for a King was their intent,_

 _And to follow the star whersoever it went._

Gordon and Caitlin were grateful to Heaven for the great love that united them and for the wonderful events they have lived together. Just like their "son" Nathaniel, if they were born again; they would choose this same life...

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

Edward and Molly sang at Lower Suddery, the place in which a few years ago Edward had enfolded Molly in his "arms" as he shyly declared to her that he was in love with her…

 _This star drew nigh to the north-west;_

 _O'er Bethlehem it took its rest;_

 _And there it did both stop and stay_

 _Right over the place where Jesus lay._

Thomas and Rosie sang at Elsbridge, the place in which Thomas had kissed each of Rosie's freckles and he asked River Els to tell the Sudrian Sea that Rosie was his 'lavender flower'…

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

James and Emily sang at Arlesburgh, the place in which they had shared their first kiss of love in a romantic, full moon night, enfolded in the aroma of the roses that Gabriel had placed on Emily's pilot at the request of James…

 _Then entered in those Wise Men three,_

 _Full reverently upon their knee,_

 _And offered there in his presence,_

 _Their gold and myrrh and frankincense._

James and Emily were grateful to Heaven for having taught them to use their differences to complement each other and strengthen their love. Among all the locomotives, they were the closest thing to a human couple…

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

All the engines sang from the places where they were, including Connor and Sam; Spencer and the Flying Scotsman; Mallard and his gorgeous girlfriend the Duchess of Hamilton...All of them shared with people the happiness of this heavenly birthday.

 _Then let us all with one accord_

 _Sing praises to our heavenly Lord_

 _That hath made heaven and earth of nought,_

 _And with his blood mankind hath bought:_

 _Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,_

 _Born is the King of Israel._

Later, one by one, the engines fell asleep in the calm of this holy night.

And at the Search and Rescue Centre, while Belle slept profoundly in his "arms," Nathaniel thought of his loved ones. He thought of Austin and Jessica; Mr. O'Mara and his family; Bernard and Washington…He thought of Caitlin and Gordon; Connor and Sam; Stephen and Millie…He thought of Edward and Paxton; Rosie and Emily; Victor and Sir Topham Hatt…He thought of Sir Robert Norramby and Joseph; Gabriel and Sophia…and he wished a Merry Christmas to each one of them from the bottom of his heart.

Soon, Nathaniel also fell asleep, feeling Belle's soft, warm skin against his cheek…and feeling in his soul a peace and happiness he had never dreamed of; the peace and happiness that come from Heaven itself.

He deserved it.


End file.
